


Georgia

by collectingstories



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, Fluff, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Young Daryl Dixon, good girl/bad boy trope, not that significant though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 42,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23792365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collectingstories/pseuds/collectingstories
Summary: Reader Insert - When you meet King County's resident "bad boy" Daryl Dixon by chance you create a somewhat elaborate plot to charm your way into his life by busting your jeep and hiring him to fix it.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s), Daryl Dixon/Reader, Daryl Dixon/You, Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee
Comments: 22
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Slight age difference. Daryl is 22 at the beginning of this and the reader is meant to be 17. Sort of a high school AU but not entirely.

“You must be out of your damn mind!” Despite the privacy of the jeep, Maggie’s voice wasn’t above a strained whisper as she unbuckled her seat belt and tried to peer into the open auto garage you were parked in front of. Right off a side street, three blocks down from the church you and Maggie had just come from. 

Dale’s Autobody Shop wasn’t the prominent one in King County being that most of the guys who worked there were what Reverend Greene referred to as ‘reformed’. The men who worked there had troubled backgrounds and more than a few run-ins with the local law enforcement. Everybody said how great it was that Dale did so much for the community until their car broke down and then they steered it all the way to the other side of town to avoid the less Christian of Georgia society to profit from their misfortune. 

If asked, Maggie would say that you were casing the joint. You’d driven out of your way more times in the last three weeks than she could count trying to catch a glimpse of one of Dale’s regular workers. Once you’d idled so long at the stop sign on the corner that one of the guys had banged on your hood and yelled at you to stop loitering outside. It hadn’t deterred you though. Not when you had woken up three hours earlier than normal to get ready for church with the express intention of driving your death trap of a Jeep down to Dale’s with Maggie as your witness that this would work. 

“It’ll be fine Mags,” you promised, shutting off the car and getting out. “If he isn’t here than we’ll just tell ‘em what’s wrong and be on our way.” You wiped your hands together as if to signify being rid of the problem.

The problem was named Daryl Dixon. You’d seen Daryl in juxtaposition to a party a couple weeks back and he’d given you a cigarette after you wandered his way. You were tipsy and dressed as a ‘suggestive’ angel only because Maggie refused to use the word slutty. Maggie had promised she’d only be a minute saying goodbye when she left you on the porch. If you had stayed on the porch, like she wanted you too, you wouldn’t be at the auto-shop with a busted car. 

Instead you had wandered across the street. 

\- 

“Can I have one?” 

Despite the town wide knowledge of all the indecent people and where they lived, including the Dixons, you had never really paid much attention to them. You knew basics, that the mom died, that the house had burned down years ago and been rebuilt, that one of the brothers was in prison, and that there were two brothers. This one, the one you could just make out from across the street as he sat on his porch steps beneath the dim light smoking, was the youngest. At least four or five years older than you were though at that particular moment all you cared about was that even in your tipsy state you were positive that he was the most attractive guy you had ever seen. So, with your shoes in one hand, you walked across the street to say hello. 

The second you started the descent from the porch and he realized you were coming his way he looked at you like you’d lost your marbles. And you said the only think that you could think of, “can I have one?” you asked, gesturing to the cigarette in his mouth. “I’ll pay you back for it?” 

“You’ll pay me back for it?” His tone was slightly mocking, even as he reached took the pack from the stairs beside him. 

You took a cigarette from the pack and handed it back to him, standing awkwardly at the base of the steps. “I don’t...” 

“You gonna pay me back for the light too?” He asked, offering up his lighter. 

“Was that a joke?” You fiddled with the lighter, finally getting it started and holding it to the end of the cigarette the way your dad always did. Lord, if he could see you now. 

The smallest flicker of a smile crossed his face before his indifference returned. You’d never smoked before and you were positive he knew it as he leaned back against the stairs and watched you try not to cough as you inhaled the smoke accidentally. You wanted so badly to look cool in front of him. 

“Can I sit?” You asked, rolling your feet slightly to show off that you were shoeless. The white heels in your hands had dirt scuffs from walking on the lawn across the street. It was colder outside than you had anticipated and you were regretting the decision to leave your jacket in Maggie’s car. The white velvet spaghetti strapped dress was cute for being an angel but it was far too cold for a mischief night party. 

“Why?” Whether it was confusion or annoyance in his tone you weren’t entirely sure. It wouldn’t shock you if he wasn’t in the mood for babysitting a semi-drunk teenager but you weren’t going back across the street. 

“Cause my feet hurt?” You held your white heels up as proof. “My ex has some new girlfriend and I didn’t want to look like a loser and not go...or show up in some lame costume ya know?” 

Daryl nodded but you suspected that he did not, in fact, know. Still you took the nod as invitation and sat beside him, stretching your legs out in front of you. He spared you a glance, eyes traveling the length of your bare legs and you thought, at least someone other than that dick Shane is appreciating the look. “What’re ya supposed ta be?” 

“An angel.” You gestured to the halo attached to your headband and the wings strapped onto your back. “A frozen angel at this point.” 

“Here.” He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing over an old camo shirt and passed it over to you. Too cold to argue you took the heavy flannel jacket, slipping off your angel wings to pull it on. It was lined and warm and it smelled like tobacco. You practically burrowed in it. 

“Thanks. I didn’t know you lived here.” You mentioned, for the sake of having something to say. You hated sitting in silence. “I mean, I’ve been by the house plenty of times but I didn’t know anyone lived in it. I mean, not anyone...it’s a...it’s a nice house, you know. Someone could live in it. I mean, obviously you do. I just didn’t...know that.” 

“It’s a piece a shit, ya ain’t gotta pretend it ain’t.” Daryl shrugged, flicking ashes off the end of his cigarette and watching them burn on the steps. 

“Sorry, I’m no good at small talk.” 

“We don’t gotta talk just cause I gave ya a smoke.” 

“To be honest, I’ve never smoked before.” Even with his offer not to speak you couldn’t help the word vomit. 

“Ya don’t say?” He muttered and you smiled at the joke. 

The front door across the street opened and slammed shut, a tall brunette dressed as a cowgirl appeared looking frantically back and forth. You groaned, standing up and trying to maneuver your wings and shoes without dropping your cigarette. Daryl was almost finished his and yours was barely started. “Well, my ride is ready.” 

“Here,” Daryl waved his hand for you to give him the cigarette and you handed it over. He tossed his on the sidewalk and stubbed it out with his shoe before beginning to smoke yours. 

“What?” You laughed when he scrunched up his nose. Something you stored in your mind as being extremely adorable. Maggie had spotted you across the street and was calling your name. 

“Nothing.” He replied. The cigarette tasted like artificial strawberries from the lip gloss you’d worn but he certainly wasn’t going to tell you that. Not in a million years. 

“Okay...I’ll see you around.” You walked backwards off the sidewalk and didn’t turn away from him until you were on the other side of the street. He watched as you joined your friend at the car parked out front. It wasn’t until you were in the car, driving off, that he got up and headed back inside the house. 

\- 

It was on accident, two days after the party, that you discovered his place of employment. And a day after that when you began concocting your plan to ask him out. Maggie thought you were ridiculous for even ‘wasting your time’ as she put it. But you were determined, especially after seeing by chance that second time. 

You were at 7-11 with Maggie’s boyfriend Glenn, sitting in the passenger side of his mom’s minivan. 

“Can’t you just do this yourself?” He asked, gripping the steering wheel. 

“I’m not eighteen for like four more months Glenn. All you have to do is buy me a pack of cigarettes. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again." 

“Why not ask Rosita?” 

“Cause you said you’d help. And you owe me for last week.” You had played go between last week so that Maggie and Glenn could go out on a date together. While Glenn was a far more upstanding member of society than Daryl Dixon, Maggie’s parents were strict in their ‘no dating’ policy and they didn’t approve of the non-Baptist Korean teenager that their oldest was madly in love with. They were lucky they didn’t have you for a daughter, according to Glenn. “Please?” 

“Fine.” He obliged, taking the money you offered and heading inside the small convenience store, leaving you alone in the mini-van. Despite the cold autumn night two days before, King County was experiencing a mild heat wave and you had the window rolled down to accommodate the sudden 75-degree weather. You had your school bag on your lap as you cracked open a book for your English class and started reading. 

A moment later a knock on the top of the car spooked you enough that you jumped in your seat, dropping the book. “Holy shit!” 

“Didn’t mean ta spook ya.” Came the familiar voice and you looked up to see Daryl standing there. 

You quick to exit the car, only slightly bummed that you were in plain old jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. It really wasn’t fair, not when Daryl Dixon looked absolutely good enough to fuck at three o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. He looked more than a little rough around the edges but it suited him. 

“Thought I’d say hi,” Daryl explained, shrugging his shoulders, “it’s stupid.” 

“No, it’s not, really. I appreciate it. I still owe you for that cigarette.” You mentioned. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.” He replied. Daryl chewed at the tip of his thumb, unsure of himself. He was rethinking the impulse to come over and say anything to you in the first place. 

You’d been nice enough the other night but you’d also been tipsy. When he saw Glenn go into the 7-11 he had decided to take a chance and say hello against his better judgement. The most he assumed he’d get was an awkward hello back, maybe you’d pretend you didn’t know him. What was he doing taking a chance with someone who looked like you anyway? But then you stepped out of the car and smiled and he almost thought you were happy to see him. 

“You ‘n’ yer boyfriend get back together?” He asked, glancing into the convenience store. 

“Oh, no. God no, Glenn is Maggie’s boyfriend.” You explained, “but don’t tell anyone, Reverend Greene would freak out.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind case anyone asks.” He said it like it was insane that you had even bothered with the explanation. And it probably was. Daryl didn’t care about your friends and no one was looking to him for gossip. He fished a packet of cigarettes out of his back pocket and lit one so he didn’t have to say anything else stupid. 

“Hey, you work at Dale’s, right?” You asked, knowing that you’d seen him there yesterday when you drove passed the autobody shop. 

“Mmmhmm.” He hummed around his cigarette. 

“So, like, if my car wasn’t working...could you fix it?” 

“You’d be better off going down to the garage by Woodbury.” He replied. 

“Why’s that?” You asked even though you knew exactly why. 

“Ain’t the right kinda people working at Dale’s.” 

“You work there.” 

“Yeah,” he nodded. The door to the 7-11 opened, the little bell catching his attention and yours as Glenn stepped out. “I’ll let you go...just wanted to say hi.” 

“Okay, maybe I’ll see you later.” 

When you opened the door he stepped back, letting you climb in before shutting the door for you. Glenn got in the car silently, trying not to pay attention to the event playing out right before him. It was bad enough that he had been roped into purchasing cigarettes for you but now Daryl Dixon was hanging around his car. He’d definitely be grounded until graduation. No more minivan. 

\- 

Daryl wasn’t really counting on you listening to him about not going to Dale’s. It was a free country after all, you could go anywhere you wanted, but he was still surprised when you showed up that Sunday. He’d rolled out from under a car and heard Axel talking about a ‘hot young piece’ that just walked in. 

“Hey!” You waved when Daryl appeared around the side of a car, walking down the short distance to where you had parked your Jeep. 

Axel, Tiny, and T-Dog were watching from the open garage door as Daryl grabbed your arm and steered you further away. Maggie stayed by the car, waiting for a call from Glenn so that they could meet up by the gazebo, as was their usual Sunday plan. 

“What’re ya doin’ here?” Daryl asked, letting go of your arm. His hand left the smallest of grease smudges on your skin. 

“My car isn’t cooperating.” You replied, eyes on him as he looked back at the black Jeep. 

Daryl sighed, walking back to the driver’s side of the car and opening the door so he could pop the hood. You followed him back over, smiling at Maggie and offering her a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes at your antics. While she wasn’t 1000% on board with your crazy plan she had to admit that it showed some serious dedication on your end. 

While Daryl checked under the hood you stood back and waited for the assessment. Eugene had assured you that the car was broken. but fixable. You chanced a look around only to find the three men who had come to the garage door when you pulled up still standing there watching you. One of them waved and you smiled, waving back, and watched all of them dissolve into chatter. 

“I have to go,” Maggie said as she came around to your side. She was holding her flip phone in her hand and already had her purse on her shoulder, “Glenn’s at the park.” 

“Go, I’m fine.” 

“How are you gonna get home?” 

“What’s the verdict?” You asked, raising your voice to get Daryl’s attention. 

He looked over at you and Maggie then back to the car. “I’m not sure, I’ll have to take a better look at it.” 

“Alright.” You nodded, elbowing Maggie subtly. You looked over at her and nodded your head as if to silently convey that she could leave. She stayed put, hesitating as her phone rang. 

“Ya got a ride?” 

“Maggie’s going to meet her boyfriend so I’m just gonna walk home, I’m not too far.” You replied. 

Daryl chewed at his thumb, looking over the car and then back to you again. “Give me ten minutes, I can drop ya off.” 

“Okay.” You replied. Maggie rolled her eyes at your clear excitement. When Daryl disappeared back into the garage you turned to Maggie, shooing her with your hand. “Bye.” 

“Call me the minute you get home.” 

“I will mom.” 

“I’m not playing,” Maggie said, stern voice like her father, “he’s a Dixon. You know his brother is in prison for assault? I don’t want you getting in over your head cause you think somebody is cute.” 

“I will call you when I get home and I will not do anything stupid; I promise.” 

“Okay, I gotta go. Third service’ll be out soon.” A quick hug and Maggie was hurrying off in the direction of the small park where she and Glenn met up. 

Once Maggie had left you walked back over to your car, grabbing your bag and keys. You weren’t exactly sure what you were supposed to do with the car now that Daryl had seemingly agreed to look at it for you. Leave it there, obviously, but did you have to fill out paperwork, give your keys to someone, pay for some kind of inspection. Usually your dad handled all the car issues in the family. 

“Hey there.” 

You looked up to see that one of the three men from earlier had made his way over to you. He was short with a handlebar mustache. You recognized him from the diner you worked at. 

“Hi.” 

“I didn’t know Daryl had a girl,” he mentioned. 

“Oh, no, we’re not...it’s not like that.” You replied hastily, “I just need my car fixed.” 

“You know there’s a garage in Woodbury?” He said. “I’m Axel by the way.” 

“Nice to meet you.” 

“Hey, back inside.” Daryl’s voice carried from the open garage as he walked over. “I’ll be back soon, Tiny’s in charge.” 

You waved goodbye to Axel and followed Daryl to where a truck was parked on the side of the road. He opened the passenger side door for you but didn’t bother to close it, realizing that he looked stupid, trying to impress you even slightly. Your car broke down and you’d come in to get it serviced, that was it. 

“Where to?” He asked, starting up the truck. 

You gave him your address, one block over from the center of town. It wouldn’t have been longer than a ten-minute walk, you lived on a nicer street than he did. A modest house that was exactly the way houses in King County were supposed to look. White picket fence, wrap around porch, two stories with white wood and a big oak tree with a swing on it. Ideal. He stopped in sight of your house but not quite in front just in case anyone might see him. 

“Thanks for driving me home,” though you hated silence you had tried not to talk on the way home so you didn’t overload him with needless conversation the way you had on the night of the Halloween party. “And for looking at the car.” 

“Yeah well, that part’s my job.” He shrugged, pulling a cigarette out and lighting it. He said nothing about the fact that you were lingering in his car. 

“Oh, that reminds me, here.” You pulled the pack of cigarettes Glenn had bought from your purse and passed them over to Daryl. They were the same brand he had now. 

“What’s this?” 

“I told you I’d pay you back, for the cigarette.” 

“Ya hardly smoked it.” He replied, taking the pack from you and turning it over in his hands. 

“But the company was nice. You coulda sent me back across the street.” You pointed out. “I still have your jacket, by the way. I’ll bring it ‘round to the garage next time I see you.” 

“Ain’t a big deal.” He stressed. 

When he held the cigarettes back out you closed your hand over his and pushed them towards him, “please take them.” The car fell into silence for a minute as Daryl stared down at your hand on his. Finally you pulled away, going back to your purse for a piece of paper and a pen, “can I give you my cell number? To call about the car?” 

“Sure, I’ll let ya know ‘bout it when I get a better look.” He replied. 

You handed off the paper and then, finally, decided you should get out, waving to him as you headed down the street to your house. Once you reached the porch you chanced another look and found him still idling there, smoking and waiting, presumably, for you to go inside. 

As you opened the front door you were already dialing Maggie on your cell. “Hey Mags, I’m home, just so you know. Daryl didn’t murder me or anything but I did give him my number. To call about the car, of course, but still...I gave him my number!” You gushed to her answering machine as you kicked off your shoes in the foyer. “Also, FYI, I’m never washing my arm again!”


	2. Chapter Two

The next time you saw Daryl it was Tuesday. He had called you on Sunday night to let you know that the problem was your fuel line and your exhaust. He’d used a lot of car terms that you didn’t necessarily understand before finally assuring you that he would have the car back in working condition as quickly as possible. Which would have been quicker if you had the money to pay him for the job. You might not have understood the car terms but you understood the dollar amount and it was more than you could afford on top of other expenses. Who knew letting Eugene fiddle with the car would cost so much? 

“We’ll work something out, come by the garage on Tuesday.” Daryl had offered when you admitted that the price was higher than you had expected. 

So on Tuesday, just after school, Tara dropped you off in front of the garage. It was raining something awful and colder than it had been all weekend; appropriate November weather according to Eugene. The hoodie and jeans you had on weren’t the best of your looks but it would have to do. 

“Hey sweetheart!” Axel greeted you when you walked into the garage, acting like the two of you were the best of friends. Tiny waved from where he was inspecting a tire. “You come to check on the car?” 

“I did. Is Daryl around?” You asked, fiddling with the strap of your backpack. 

“Ran to grab smokes, should be back soon,” Axel replied, “feel free to wait.” He gestured to an old backseat that had been converted into a couch. 

“Alright.” You sat down on the couch and pulled a book from your backpack, beginning to read as you waited. 

Daryl wasn’t gone ten minutes more, coming in and shaking the rain off himself as he took his jacket and flannel off, hanging them by the door. You felt hyperaware of him when he was around which was probably why you looked up the minute he came in and kept your eyes on him as he moved further into the garage. 

“It’s shit out there.” He mentioned, still oblivious to you. 

“Yer girl’s here.” Axel piped up, pointing a wrench in your direction. 

Daryl turned toward you, eyes widening a bit as he caught sight of you. He coughed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix it. “What’re ya doing ‘ere?” He asked. 

“You told me to come down to discuss my car.” 

“Did ya walk ‘ere?” 

“Tara...my friend dropped me off.” You replied, standing up and following him as he walked over to the car. 

Daryl nodded and walked over to you, grabbing your arm to pull you away from Axel and Tiny. You were going to consider this his designated move if everytime you saw him he was dragging you around by the arm. 

“Ya shouldn’t come by when I'm not at here.” 

“But you are here.” You pointed out, smiling. 

“Anything coulda happened while I wasn’t.” He stated, looking back to the other two as if they weren’t to be trusted. And maybe they weren’t but they’d been perfectly welcoming to you. 

“I’m all in one piece, promise.” You assured. “But listen, you wanted to talk about payment plans or something?” 

Daryl sighed, “Yeah, listen, ain’t nothin’ I can do ‘ere but...if I work off the books, take more time, ya can pay in more installments. It’d be half what it is now.” 

“Seriously? That would be amazing.” 

“Ain’t a big deal.” He shrugged, “I’ll move the car to my house tonight.” 

“Thank you, thank you!” You surprised him by wrapping your arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Daryl tensed on impact and you let go when you realized how stiff he was. “Sorry.” 

“S’alright.” He replied, immediately chewing at his thumb to calm himself down. 

“I really, really appreciate it. Honestly.” You repeated, “I have to go to work but let me know whatever the first payment is.” 

“I’ll figure it out, let ya know.” He promised. “Ya walking?” 

“What?” You asked. You had already started the short trip back to your bookbag. Patricia was expecting you at the diner by 4pm and it was nearing 3:50 now. Lori would grip about how many minutes you were cutting it. 

“Ta work. Ya walking ta work?” He asked. 

“Oh, yeah, but it’s just at the diner.” In proximity to the autobody shop it was hardly a three minute walk. Patricia’s diner was a block over on the corner. 

“It’s still rainin’, I could give ya a lift.” 

“You wouldn’t mind?” You’d let him give you a lift to the stop sign right outside if he offered. 

“Nah, I’ll grab my coat.” 

\- 

You had taken up working part time at the local diner when you were fifteen. The minute you were allowed to get working papers from the school you had begged your mom for the opportunity, swearing that you would save your money and not waste it on clothes or makeup or whatever ‘frivolous things’ your mom would criticize. It had taken more convincing for your dad but since he wasn’t thrilled paying for your cellphone or the thought of paying for a car in the future he eventually caved. 

Patricia was a friend of the family and she promised you wouldn’t have to wait on anyone sketchy or work too many hours and never on Sunday. It started with four hour shifts four days a week but it had evolved from there. Sometimes you worked after school until midnight, on weekends you worked early morning shifts. 

“So I wondering if there was anyway I could pick up a couple extra shifts?” You requested, following Patricia through the double doors as you tied your apron. “I don’t know if you know-” 

“Dale told me your car is over at his shop.” She replied, indicating that she did, in fact, know. 

“It is. So, ya know, I need some extra cash.” You explained. 

“You know, Otis’ cousin works at the place in Woodbury. I’m sure he could get you a good deal.” Patricia mentioned. 

“I’m good, thanks. I just need a few extra hours.” You replied, grabbing some menus from under the register as a small group walked through the door. 

“We’ll see.” It was as good as no and you knew that. Especially when she offered Otis’ cousin to you three more times during your shirt. 

Her antagonizing was only interrupted by Dale’s arrival around 8pm for dinner. You were so relieved to see him that you almost thanked him for coming in. Dale came in every night for dinner and every morning for breakfast. Ever since his wife had died three years ago he had made the diner a regular spot for himself. Patricia wouldn’t say anything bad about his garage with him there. 

He sat at the counter like always, reading the sports section of the newspaper as he ate. Occasionally he’d call you over for a refill of his drink but otherwise he kept to himself for the evening, a little unusual but you were busier than normal and didn’t think about it. Until he called you over as he was getting ready to leave. 

“How was the burger?” You asked, pouring him a cup of coffee to go. 

“Good as always. I actually wanted to talk to you about Daryl.” Dale said, “heard you’ve been having trouble with the car?” 

“News travels fast. But uh, yeah he’s gonna fix it for me.” 

Dale nodded, “I just wanted to say, Daryl’s a good kid. His head just ain’t in the right place sometimes.” 

“He’s just fixing my car Dale.” 

“Keep it that way.” He admonished, getting up. He left behind a rather generous tip and you were quick to stuff it in your apron pocket. Lori was convinced that tips should be split evenly and she told anyone who would listen. She would flip if she saw the twenty that Dale had left you. 

\- 

“So, how long have you been working on cars?” You asked, fiddling with a wrench that lay atop a toolkit. You were sitting on an old lawn chair under the carport of the Dixon’s house with the space heater turned toward you.   
“Long enough.” Daryl shrugged. Whatever he was fixing you couldn’t be sure but you had a nice view from your spot and took advantage of watching the way his muscles flexed as he worked. 

He had called you on Wednesday with a promise to work on your car Friday afternoon and, whether he intended it to happen or not, you showed up with your backpack. Claiming that you were off work and your mom was annoying you at home. He didn’t say anything against you being there, just turned the space heater toward you and went back to work. 

“Don’t ya got dinner or somethin’?” Daryl asked, not that he necessarily wanted to be rid of you, just that he didn’t really understand why you had decided to spend your Friday afternoon with him when you could be spending it anywhere else. 

You shrugged, “told my mom I was going to Maggie’s. She’s at work so she won’t check and Maggie told her parents that she’s with me cause she’s going out with Glenn tonight. It’s their three-month anniversary.” 

“Coulda just said no.” He replied. 

“Sorry, I talk a lot.” You apologized, “my ex always joked that I needed a muzzle cause I didn’t know when to shut up.” 

“Didn’t say that.” Daryl explained, stopping what he was doing to look over at you, “doesn’t bother me. Talk as much as ya want.” 

“Thanks.” 

He hummed. 

“Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?” You asked. 

He turned back to look at you again, eyebrows raised in confusion before shaking his head. “Oh yeah, we’re havin’ the whole family over. Just gotta bail ‘em outta jail first.” 

You laughed, louder than you intended too, and the screen door on the side of the house banged open at the same time, startling you. Daryl stood up straighter as an older man came down the three steps into the car port. He didn’t seem to notice you, going straight to the beat-up old refrigerator in the corner and grabbing a six-pack of beer before heading back inside. Once the door clanged shut after him and he was back in the house Daryl let out a breath and you looked over at him. 

“You can save some money...you don’t have to bail him out.” 

Daryl laughed before turning back to work on the car again. 

“Do you work tomorrow?” 

“I got a shift at the slaughterhouse over in Woodbury. Can’t work on the car again until Monday.” He replied. 

“That’s fine, whenever. I can pay you the first installment next Friday after I get paid. I have to go dress shopping tomorrow with Maggie for the winter formal.” You supplied, pulling Daryl’s flannel from last Friday tighter. The sun was officially down and the only light, besides the glow of the space heater, was the flickering overhead light in the carport. 

He hummed, “that’s fine.” 

“I don’t wanna go to the formal but…it’s important to my mom. She’s on PTA and they’re organizing. She said it would look bad if I didn’t go.” You said, pulling your knees up to your chest. “Did you ever go to like, prom or something?” 

“Nah.” 

“I wish I wasn’t going.” 

“Ya seem like the type.” He replied. 

“What?” 

“Ya seem like the type ta go ta all that shit.” Daryl clarified. 

“Yeah.” You agreed. He was right, you knew that. You looked just like every sweet country girl in a movie or a song was supposed to look like. You did all the things you were supposed to do. You got straight A’s, went to church every Sunday, you were polite and friendly, you went to youth group and school dances and you were responsible and you didn’t curse or drink or smoke and you had lots of friends and you were a cheerleader and you played softball. All the things that your mom had always wanted for you. 

Daryl glanced over at you as he wiped his hands on the rag he kept in his back pocket. “I’m calling it a night. I got work in the morning.” 

“Okay,” you stood up and grabbed your bag, “I’ll see you later I guess.” You hadn’t been thinking about this evening coming to an end. In your mind it just stretched on for hours and hours and infinity until both of you lost track of time. 

“I’ll give ya a ride, don’t want ya walking when its dark out.” 

Before you could say anything your beeper went off. An S.O.S text from Lori. “Damn it.” 

“What’s the matter?” 

“Uh,” you looked back at Daryl, “could I use your phone? My cellphone is dead and this girl I work with wants me to call her. Guarantee she’s going to call out.” 

Daryl looked back at the door his dad had come out of minutes earlier. He never had people over his house, mostly because he didn’t get along with people but also because he didn’t want his dad seeing anyone around. Will Dixon was an easy person to be embarrassed by. 

“I can just walk there and see what she needs, it’s okay.” You promised. 

“Nah, it’s fine. Come on.” He opened the door for you, letting you pass in front of him into the house. The kitchen was run down, peeling linoleum, old appliances, a mountain of dirty dishes, and bottles of alcohol cluttering the counter space. On the wall by the refrigerator there was a phone and Daryl guided you in that direction so that you could call Lori back. Somewhere off the kitchen a TV was blaring a football game. 

“Thanks.” You whispered before picking up the phone and dialing the diner. 

Lori picked up immediately, “Patricia’s Diner.” 

“Hey Lor, it’s me. I saw you paged.” 

“Oh my god, are you working tomorrow night?” She asked. 

“No, I’m off.” 

“Can you? Please? I got a date!” 

“A date?” 

“Yeah...Rick just came in and we were talking and he asked me out. I’m so excited! But I have work and I don’t want to ask Amy-” 

“I can do it. I need the hours.” 

“Heard about the car.” She replied. It really was national news. 

“I got to go.” You hung the phone up before she could say goodbye and then Daryl was pushing you toward the door. You were just reaching for the doorknob when Daryl’s father came into the kitchen, looking at you for the first time. 

“Who the fuck is this?” 

“Go wait outside in my truck.” Daryl said, pushing you closer to the door so he could stand in front of you. “We were just leaving.” 

“Don’t leave on my account.” He called after you. As the door closed you could just hear him asking Daryl if he’d “paid her well? Don’t be a shitty tipper, that’s wha’ got yer brother in trouble.” 

You waited ten minutes in the truck for Daryl. When he finally came out he slammed the side door shut and then slammed the car door shut too. The ride home was silent, you wanted to apologize or tell him not to worry about his dad seeming like a dick or something but your tongue was stuck in your throat. So instead you just sat there staring out the window while he smoked. He drove you to the same spot he had last time, a few houses down from yours so that your parents wouldn’t see you in his truck. And just like last time you lingered in the passenger seat, resolved to say something. 

“Thanks.” 

“Ain’t a big deal.” He replied, lighting another cigarette off the end of the one he’d just finished. 

“Not Just for fixing my car.” You explained, “it’s nice of you to put up with me.” 

He shrugged, “Don’t mind the company. Sorry ‘bout my old man.” 

“It’s okay.” You promised. “Tell him ya didn’t tip me on account of my less than spectacular appearance.” 

Daryl shook his head, the faintest smile appearing at your words. 

“I’ll see you later?” You asked, finally opening the door and exiting the car. 

“Yeah.” 

Just like last time Daryl sat, idling while you walked down to your house and went inside. Once the door was shut behind you he put the car back in drive and took off for his house.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is forced to break up with Glenn

“Annette you gotta talk to him! Please!” Maggie begged, standing in the kitchen as Annette prepared dinner for the family. 

“Margaret. What your father says is law in this house, you know that as well as anyone. And he’s told you how many times that you are not permitted to date unless-” 

“I know!” Maggie groaned. “Unless you both approve of the boy. But that was never gonna happen. Ya’ll wouldn’t let me date Glenn and I knew that!” 

“Well I’m sorry you felt like that but going behind our backs was deceitful and wrong. You can use this time to reflect on your decisions and whether what you did, lying to your family, was pleasing to God.” 

Maggie groaned, slamming her hand on the counter and then rushing out of the house, toward the barn. Anytime she had gotten into an argument with her dad and stepmom before she always went to the barn for some fresh air and clarity. 

Beth had come home Friday night from a playdate with a friend to tell her dad two very important things. One, that she had seen you with ‘someone’ outside the diner when she was leaving with her friend’s family and two, that Maggie was nowhere to be seen. Thankfully for you the someone Beth saw was no one she recognized but the instant Hershel and Annette heard that Maggie wasn’t exactly where she said she would be on the night she said she’d be there they had looked through her room and her cellphone log. 

And when she came home that night after her date they were waiting at the dining room table, Hershel with his stern pastoral face on and Annette looking unnecessarily near tears. 

“It’s not like you’re hanging out with Daryl Dixon.” You’d told Maggie later that night on the phone as she cursed both her parents out of existence over the entire ordeal. 

“I tried to reason with Annette and she won’t even talk to him for me. Told me he’s doing the right thing for everybody. Just cause Glenn isn’t Baptist.” 

“And cause he’s Korean.” 

“It ain’t like that.” Maggie argued. On more than one occasion you and Glenn both had told Maggie that her parents were walking the line of racism pretty thoroughly. They did the thing all churches looking for new members did, masking their doctrine with a welcome sign for all creeds and cultures and backgrounds and people. And it was fine if the majority white church had some Hispanic, black, or Asian patrons. All were welcome. But all were not welcome to date Reverend Greene’s daughter. 

“It’s like that.” You replied. “You can be friends with whoever you want Maggie but they aren’t about to let you date someone who isn’t white and Baptist and from a family they’ve known since the creation of the earth.” 

“Will you call Glenn for me? Tell him what happened?” Maggie requested, “I’m trying to talk some sense into daddy but I’m grounded expect for church and school. They said not even youth group!” 

“I’ll call him.” 

“I really love him, ya know? I know we’re in high school but I really think he’s the one.” Maggie admitted. 

“I’ll talk to him, don’t worry.” 

\- 

Nothing came of Maggie begging Annette to talk to Hershel. She was insistent that Maggie listen to her father and abide by his rules and his rules were that she wasn’t permitted to date a boy that didn’t go to the church. The ‘what if he did’ argument got her nowhere either, Hershel simply reminded her that he didn’t and he would never and even if Glenn started to now out of the blue they would all know why and it wouldn’t be earnest. 

When Beth told them, over the dinner table the first official night of Maggie’s grounding, that she had been on the phone with you, all her phone privileges went out the window too. She would go to school, pick up Beth and Shawn, come home, do homework, and go to bed. On Saturdays she would help around the farm and on Sundays she would go to church and that was the end of it. There would be no social life. Even a few of her teachers had been informed that she was not to speak to Glenn Rhee. 

“You know what I hate about small towns?” Maggie questioned, sitting on the swings beside you. The playground was fenced in, right beside the addition that had been added to the church some 30 years prior so that people could send their kids to a Baptist preschool. It was through church donation and preschool tuition that the playground had been kept up but it was still outdated compared to an actual schoolyard. 

“No.” You replied, positive that she would tell you. 

“That everybody just knows everything! And listens to everything daddy says! All week we were pulled apart, Mrs. Frasier told everybody that we weren’t allowed near each other!” 

“I know. We go to the same school Mags.” 

“But it ain’t fair! He’s not God, why’s he get a say in my personal life?” Maggie questioned. 

“Just think, soon we’ll be in college. Then we can hang out with whoever we want.” You replied. 

“I don’t think being in college will make your parents okay with the idea of you spending time with Daryl Dixon.” Maggie said, grinning, “where do they think your car is anyway?” 

“At Dale’s. I told them Dale always comes by the diner and I knew he would give me a good deal. I just left out the part where it’s at Daryl’s house.” You laughed. “Speaking of, I kind of told him I’d stop by today.” 

“Now?” Maggie asked. “This is the only social life I get all week.” 

“Did you ask Annette if you could go dress shopping with me tomorrow after school?” You asked. “It’s the only day I have off. I switched shifts with Lori, she has another date.” 

“Oh my god!” Maggie stood up from the swing suddenly. “Oh my god!” 

“What?” 

“Oh my god, I didn’t tell you!” 

“Tell me what?” 

“Daddy said I’m not allowed to go to the dance.” 

“What?” You paled at the information. The only thing that wasn’t making the entire experience of going to the dance completely awful was the knowledge that Maggie and Glenn would be enduring it with you. But if they weren’t...if Maggie wasn’t going...then you would be sitting there in a hideous dress listening to Aiden bullshit with his football buddies. 

“They both said, no dance.” Maggie said, dropping back onto the swing. 

“I can’t believe it. Do you think they’ll change their minds?” 

“If I can find a time machine and make them forget that Glenn and I are dating.” 

\- 

Daryl was already working on your car when you showed up in his driveway. The cold weather had you in a white long-sleeved turtleneck and a nice skirt, tights keeping your legs warm. Your parents were one step away from becoming crazy fundamentalists but thankfully they only made you wear dresses and skirts on Sundays. You came into the car port where Daryl was, waving at him when he looked up from the car. 

“Hey, hope it’s okay I stopped by.” You said, coming over to stand beside him. 

“Yeah, ‘s fine.” 

“Patricia won’t let me work on Sundays and Maggie is only allowed to hang out during church so...” you trailed off as you sat down in the lawn chair. You’d brought your backpack with you to church with the intention of going to Daryl’s afterward. 

“So ya figured ya’d come antagonize me?” He asked, the hint of a grin. 

“I’ll be quiet as a mouse, promise!” You replied. “I brought homework anyway.” 

While Daryl got back to work on your car you pulled out your history homework, balancing the textbook and notebook on your lap and wedging the pencil case between your thigh and the lawn chair. For the most part you focused on your notes for the Atlantic Revolution while Daryl worked though every few paragraphs you would look up. You found that you liked watching him, it was almost calming in the way he worked on a car but you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable and you knew how weird it would seem if he caught you staring. There wasn’t much else to see from where you were sitting. 

Behind your Jeep was Daryl’s truck and parked on the sidewalk outfront was a rust bucket of an old sedan that you guessed belonged to his father. It hadn’t been there on Halloween but it had been there the last time you stopped by. The backyard, from what you could see, looked as messy as the carport. 

“Do you have any water?” You asked, standing up and putting your books on the chair. 

“Thought ya were gonna be quiet as a mouse?” Daryl sassed. 

“I am, I swear.” 

“There’s water in the fridge.” He waved his hand over toward the refrigerator the sat beside the steps. 

The fridge was closer to the back of the carport and gave you a better glimpse into his yard. There was a pop-up camper parked in overgrown grass and a shed in the far corner by the chain link fence. A picnic table sat in front of the camper along with a small grill. 

“That’s cute.” 

“What’s cute?” Daryl asked, saying the word like it was an insult. 

“The camper...I like how it’s all set up.” You said, “my family goes to this Baptist camp every year and there’s this family that has a camper like that. They put string lights on theirs.” 

“I ain’t putting string lights on my camper.” He said. 

“It’d be so cute.” 

“Yer not so good at being quiet are ya?” 

"Sorry.” You grabbed the bottle of water from the fridge and went back to your seat. “I’ll be quiet. I promise.” 

“Ya keep promising.” He pointed out. 

You sat down and held your books up as evidence that you were getting back to work. As you resumed studying Daryl went back to working on the car, glancing up every once in a while, to make sure you were alright. Or so he convinced himself that was why. He thought you looked pretty, not that he didn’t always think that, and he couldn’t figure out why you kept coming around. He thought maybe you didn’t trust him with your car but then you weren’t hovering and you didn’t seem too worried about what he was doing to the car while you were there. 

“Ya know ya don’t gotta come around every time I work on the car.” Daryl mentioned. 

“I like hanging out with you.” You shrugged, looking up from your notebook. 

“Well I ain’t here ta babysit ya.” 

“I could give you an extra $5 an hour?” You teased, “and snack allowance. I prefer goldfish.” 

“Ya always like this?” 

“Like what?” 

“A pain in the ass.” He deadpanned. 

You pouted, “fine, I won’t come by next time. I’ll go hang out with Glenn or something...Reverend Greene found out him and Maggie were dating and now she’s grounded until she’s like thirty.” 

“That the Chinese kid?” 

“He’s Korean.” 

“Ain’t surprised the Greene’s wouldn’t want him around they’re daughter.” Daryl replied. 

“You don’t even know Glenn. He’s so nice-” 

“Hey, I ain’t saying anything against the kid. Just saying, they’re old school. Most people ‘round here are.” 

“It isn’t an excuse.” 

“I ain’t disagreeing with ya, I’m just saying...they ain’t gonna change their mind.” 

“Well anyway, I can go hang out with Glenn, so I don’t bother you.” You said, back on the topic from earlier. That you were a nuisance, which was the exact opposite of the effect you wanted to have on him. 

Daryl rolled his eyes at you, “I didn’t mean ya had ta go. Just meant, if yer worried ‘bout the car I know what I’m doing.” 

“I’m not worried about the car.” 

“What?” 

“I’m not worried. You said you could fix it and I trust that you can.” You replied. 

“Than why ya hanging around?” 

“Its not the goldfish.” 

“I’m being serious.” Daryl said, leaning against the Jeep. 

“I like hanging out with you.” 

Daryl didn’t say anything else, just turned back to look at the car before you could see the blush on his cheeks. He scrunched his nose and bit at his thumb as he focused on the engine and tried not to think about what you just said. He wasn’t completely friendless in the world. He had Rick, and occasionally Rick’s friend Michonne came around from the police academy, but he’d never had someone outright say that they liked his company. Especially not a someone like you.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving.

“Nice backpack,” Rick laughed, picking the bright yellow backpack up from the lawn chair. 

“It ain’t mine.” He shrugged, lighting up a cigarette. 

Rick had come over for beers. An odd night off from work without the academy in the morning he had decided to stop ‘round at Daryl’s. It was already dark out when he’d pulled up outside his best friend’s house and Daryl was working on a jeep by the light of the carport. When he walked up he’d spotted the backpack sitting there, an odd contrast to anything else lying around. 

“Didn’t think it was.” Rick replied, “so who’s the girl?”

“Don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout.”

“There’s a Jeep in your driveway and some girl’s backpack in your truck.” Rick pointed out, “you know, I’m a cop, I’m trained to notice these things.”

“Ya ain’t a cop yet.” Daryl muttered, heading over to the fridge and grabbing a beer.

“So?” 

“I’m fixing someone’s car and she left her bag. That’s all.” 

Daryl had realized that you left your backpack there after he drove you home on Sunday night. He’d gotten all the way back home when he saw your bright yellow backpack sitting on the floor of his truck. He had called you when he got inside. He felt stupid, standing in the kitchen with the phone pressed to his ear, waiting for you to answer like he was some dumb high school kid. 

You had answered after the second ring, “Hello?” 

“Hey...it’s Daryl, ya left yer bag in my truck.” 

“Oh my gosh...I totally did, didn’t I? I'm so sorry.” 

“It’s alright. Ya want me ta drop it off?” He asked. 

“Are you at the garage tomorrow morning? Glenn is driving me to school, we could stop and I could grab it?” You asked, unsure how else you were going to get the backpack. You couldn’t leave now that you were home or your mom would get suspicious. She knew Maggie was grounded and there was no way she’d let you out after dark to hang out with Glenn or Tara or Rosita. 

“Yeah I’ll be there.” 

Somehow the bright yellow monstrosity had ended up back in Daryl’s possession. It wasn’t much of a mystery though. You had stopped, just like you said you would, before school in the morning. While you were there you had mentioned getting the second payment to him that afternoon. Part of that agreement somehow involved driving you from school to the diner where your bag had once again been forsaken in his truck. 

Now he had to figure out how to get it to you all over again and Rick was trying to rifle through it. “Would ya quit that?” Daryl grumbled, grabbing the bag and putting it back in his truck. He had set it on the chair so he didn’t forget it but Rick was bothering him. 

“I just wanna know who she is,” Rick replied. “College student?” 

“I told ya I’m just fixing a car.” 

“Please tell me she’s at least 18, D.” 

“It ain’t like that.” Daryl slammed the truck door shut and glared at him, face flush at the accusation that he thought of you in a way that wasn’t just a client. “I’m fixing a car.” 

“Alright.” 

It had taken Rick getting a call from his mom to swing by for dinner to finally get him to leave Daryl’s house. Not that Daryl wanted to be rid of him, with Merle in prison for the next six months Rick was the only other friend he had. He did want to return your backpack though and he figured it was worth stopping at the diner to see if you were there. You were always telling him how you worked all the time and while he wasn’t sure if you really did or if you were exaggerating he thought it was worth a shot, plus he assumed you would need it for school. Axel, Tiny, Dale, and even T-Dog weren’t strangers to the diner but you had never seen Daryl come in before so you were surprised when you saw him walk through the door. 

“Hey!” When you saw the backpack in his hands you smiled, “I’m so sorry.” 

“Ya say that but yer smiling." He replied, setting it on one of the stools and sitting down beside it. 

“I’m honestly sorry.” You insisted, though it wasn’t truthful in the slightest. All you could really feel was happy that he had gone out of his way to bring the bag back to you. “Can I get you anything? On the house.” 

It was pretty dead at 9pm on a Monday night. Most people weren’t out so late in King County. Daryl took the menu off the counter and opened it, looking through the options. “I’ll have some coffee.” 

“Okay,” you poured him a cup and went to give another patron their meal. When you came back Daryl was still looking through the menu. “Are you still free on Thursday?” 

“Why?” He asked, “what’s Thursday?” 

“Thanksgiving.” 

“I got work in the morning.” He replied, “Probably won’t work on the car honestly.” 

“No, I wasn’t asking for that. I was wondering if you wanted to come around for dinner. Patricia has a bunch of people at the diner for a big Thanksgiving dinner. Like the Greene’s and Dale usually comes.” 

“Yah, I don’t think so.” The last thing Daryl needed was to show up somewhere he knew he wouldn’t be welcome. He knew the invitation was innocent, you were just trying to be nice, but he didn’t need to embarrass himself by hanging around more than he was welcome. 

“Okay, well, if you change your mind I’m making apple pie.” 

\- 

Unsurprisingly, Daryl did not change his mind. He spent his thanksgiving the way he did every year, drinking beer and watching the game on TV because it was all that was on. Will bailed on anything Thanksgiving related almost as soon as he woke up, leaving for a bar over in Woodbury. Daryl had grilled a steak but otherwise he had skipped out on dinner. 

He was almost asleep on the old laz-e-boy when a knock on the side door startled him awake. Rick never stopped by on Thanksgiving and there was only one other person he could think of that would come by his house. 

“Ya know when someone declines an offer to see ya that don’t mean ya need to come by.” He said, leaning in the door and blocking you from coming inside. You looked kind of adorable, a corduroy brown pinafore dress and cream turtleneck. 

“I know but I come bearing apple pie.” You bartered, holding up the wrapped up pie dish. 

“A’ight, come on.” Daryl moved aside to let you in. 

“That was easier than I thought.” 

“I know ya well enough ta know ya ain’t just gonna leave if I ask.” 

“You are correct.” You smiled. You eyed the beer cans sitting on the coffee table, “having a party?” 

“Something like that.” He took the pie dish from you and set it on the coffee table before heading into the kitchen in search of clean utensils. You sat down the couch, looking around the Dixon’s home. The TV was sitting on an entertainment system that looked seconds from falling apart, the carpet was stained with cigarette ash and other substances. 

“This is...” 

“Its a piece a shit.” Daryl replied, walking into the living room and sitting down beside you. “How was yer Thanksgiving?” 

“It was alright...Maggie’s not talking to her dad so that was kinda awkward. I sat at the kids table with Beth and Shawn.” You said, “better than sitting with the adults. Anyway, I told you I was making pie and I didn’t want you to miss out because, honest to god, I make the best apple pie in Georgia.” 

Daryl nodded, more interested in the pie than in who you sat with at dinner. The last time he had apple pie he was probably seven and his mom had bought it premade from the grocery store because he had begged for it. “Ain’t got anything to weigh it against.” He finally said, scooping up some with his fork and taking a bite. 

You held your fork in your hand, waiting for a reaction. Daryl had terrible eating habits. He ate too fast and didn’t pay attention to whether the food was going completely in his mouth all the time. Growing up in a house with Merle and Will hadn’t exactly instilled strong table manners in him. Mostly they ate their meals at the TV, on fold out tables or the coffee table or he ate in the camper away from his dad. The last time they used a kitchen table it had been in their old house before his mom died. 

“Good?” You chanced while he ate. 

He hummed around a mouthful. You took a bite and smiled. Last year you had almost messed it up with the wrong apples but this year it was perfect. 

“Yer good at this.” 

“Baking?” 

“Yeah. Can’t cook anything if it ain’t on a grill.” 

“You might be able to make an apple pie on a grill...I’ve never tried.” You teased and he smiled just enough that you caught it. 

“Where do your parents think you are?” He asked, getting up and grabbing a beer from the kitchen fridge. 

“Tara’s. Can I have one?” 

“No.” 

“Oh come on. I’m almost 18.” 

“I ain’t giving ya alcohol. Last thing I need is some girl going home drunk from here.” He replied. 

“I won’t be drunk! I can drink like, a whole case of Zima before I get drunk.” 

“That shit’s disgusting.” 

“Oh I’m sorry, your Pabst is so great.” You sassed. Daryl rolled his eyes and held the can out to you, the one he’d just been drinking from. You took it, downing as much of a gulp as you could stand and imagining that you could maybe taste him on it. But the taste of the cheap beer won out and you nearly gagged as it went down, “that’s disgusting.” 

“Gets ya drunk.” 

“Are you?” 

“Right now, no.” Though he wasn’t totally sober. If he was he would have never let you in his house. “Most a those are my dad’s. Had ‘em ‘fore he left for the bar.” He said, dropping onto the couch beside you.   
“I think this is the most we’ve ever had a conversation.” You pointed out. 

Daryl nodded and grinned, “maybe I am drunk.” 

\- 

The next morning, as Daryl stepped out of the 7-11 with a pack of cigarettes and a coffee, he caught sight of you standing at the driver’s side of his truck and fixing your hair in the sideview mirror. You had stayed longer than you intended the night before; long enough that you had to call Glenn to pick you up because Daryl refused to drive you home after drinking. 

“Ya gonna pump my gas for me.” He asked and you spun around, smiling. 

“I can. But it’ll cost you.” 

“I’ll tell ya what,” Daryl picked up the gas nozzle and placed it in the truck, trapping you between him and the hose, “I’ll give ya the pie plate back.” 

“Deal.” You turned slightly and reached for the nozzle, putting your hand over his, “but I’m only doing this because my mom already asked about the pie plate. Now move it, this is my job.” 

You caught the slightest smile as he pulled his hand away and held them both up in mock surrender. He leaned against the driver’s door and took a sip of his coffee while he watched the numbers on the screen. “Ya working today?” 

“Yeah, Lori wouldn’t clock me in early cause she’s on some power trip. Patricia left her in charge and she said I was trying to steal hours from Amy, she’s new, but I’m not. I don’t care about Amy or her hours.” You replied. 

“Yes or no woulda worked.” He teased. 

“I’m gonna think of the most long winded ways to answer your questions from now on. Just to annoy the hell outta ya.” 

“Ya already do.” 

“I do not! You love hanging out with me.” 

He hummed and reached around you to grab the nozzle, clicking off the handle so the gas flow would stop but keeping you trapped. “There ya go. Pie plate is yours.” 

“Thanks.” 

He was slow to step away, almost reluctant, “I’ll see ya ‘round.” 

“Okay.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The winter formal for King County High School is here.

You had tried in vain, until almost the last possible moment, to get Glenn to take you to the winter formal instead of Aiden. With Maggie only showing up to see you in your dress and then go back home you were stuck with no one to talk to. Aiden had asked you back in September, when you had just broken up with Shane and wanted to appear totally over him, if you would consider going with him to the winter formal. You had jumped on the opportunity, figuring it wasn’t a big deal. You would go, hang out with Maggie and Glenn, then leave. It would be painless. Now you were stuck in a car with Aiden and his moron friends driving to the banquet hall in Woodbury while they passed around a flask of alcohol one of them stole from their parents. 

“Hey,” Aiden nudged your arm with the metal flask and you shook your head. “Aw, come on. Be a good sport.” 

“I don’t drink out of strange containers.” You replied. 

“More for me!” He was already halfway to sloppy drunk as it was and he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you against him. You nearly cringed. Part of you was seriously considering finding Shane and asking him to bail you out of this dance. 

The banquet hall was tacky in its decoration. Giant poster board snowflakes hung from the ceiling along with blue and silver garland. Balloons were everywhere and there was a sparkly silver backdrop outside for couples to get their picture taken. Aiden coaxed you over in that direction with his friends, all of them posing in some obscene way while you stood off to the side, arms crossed over your chest. You knew you looked like a spoiled brat refusing to have fun but you didn’t care. All these guys were stupid and immature and none of your friends had come to the formal and you really wished you were sitting at Daryl’s doing homework while he worked on the car. 

“I’m getting punch.” You announced to no one in particular. None of them were paying you even the slightest attention. 

The music inside the banquet hall was terrible. Arguably the worst blend of hick country and radio pop that you had ever heard but no unexpected for this part of Georgia. You checked your pager once you got to your designated table. No messages. 

“Hey,” Shane’s hands came down on your bare shoulders and you fought off a frown, of all the people to get stuck with while Aiden was in the lobby being a douche with his friends. 

“Hey Shane,” you pulled away from him and stood up, crossing your arms. Your lavender colored dress was partially an ode to Footloose and the excitement you’d had when you first bought it was worn down to nothing now.  
“Where’s your date?” 

“Dancing with friends.” He shrugged, “you look great.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Hey, listen-” just as he started to talk you caught sight of Aiden coming into the hall. 

“Oh, sorry Shane. I have to go.” You hurried passed him and linked your arm with Aiden’s, fake smile falling into place, “do you wanna dance?” 

“Sure babe.” 

You danced with Aiden on and off, trying to stay close to him to avoid Shane. You smiled through a painful hour and a half of pretending to have a good time. When Aiden finally headed for the table you used it as an out, excusing yourself to the bathroom. A few other girls were in there, whispering to each other as you entered and sequestered yourself in the handicap stall. You checked your pager again, hoping that someone might have messaged you but no one had. 

You didn’t want to go back out there with Aiden and his friends but you knew that your mom would be furious if you came home now. She had put so much time and work into the dance and the decorations and the PTA that leaving would be like telling her you hated it all. Not a rational thought but your mother was never known for rationality. There was a payphone in the vestibule of the banquet hall that you had passed on the way inside and some coins at the bottom of your purse so you called for a ride home, knowing your mom wouldn’t find out as long as Aiden didn’t see you leave. 

\- 

The familiar black pickup pulled up in front of the banquet hall that you were standing outside of, braving the cold so you didn’t have to go back inside. He’d barely ghosted to a stop when you opened the door and climbed inside. 

“Sorry,” you immediately apologized as you pulled yourself up into Daryl’s truck. There was a forgotten sweatshirt on the floor that you pulled onto your lap and slipped your arms through in an attempt to get warm. “I didn’t mean to make you come out I just wasn’t sure who else to call.” 

You could’ve probably called Glenn or Tara but then you wouldn’t get to see Daryl looking somewhat like he had just rolled out of bed. 

“It’s fine.” He shrugged, “ya weren’t having fun?” 

“No. Aiden is a douche, I can’t stand him. My mom was happy I was going with him ya know, cause his mom is the mayor, but I can’t stand him!” 

“So ya said.” 

“Sorry, it was just a shitty night. I was only looking forward to it because Maggie and Glenn were going to be there but-” 

“Maggie’s grounded.” Daryl supplied. 

“Yeah.” You nodded and smiled. “I didn’t mean to drag you out of whatever you were doing.” 

“Wasn’t doing anything.” He replied, pulling the truck out of the parking lot and heading back toward King County. “Am I supposed to take ya home or ya got somewhere else to go?” 

“What time is it? If I leave before the dance is all done my mom will definitely know. She has to come clean up though so if I time it right-”

“I’ll just take ya back to mine.” Daryl cut in, “got something ya can change into.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Ya look nice, by the way.” He was glad that it was dark in the truck because he could feel how warm his cheeks and ears were getting. He felt stupid for saying anything but he couldn’t help himself. You looked beautiful in your formal dress and it all felt a little surreal, even at 22, that he would be driving a girl home from her prom. Daryl was not the kind of guy that had ever gone to prom or even gone on a date before. 

“Thanks,” you nestled further into his sweatshirt as he drove you back to his house. 

He pulled in behind the Jeep, covered by a tarp so no one would notice it in his driveway. His dad’s car wasn’t out front so he led you inside the house first, offering up his old room so you could change. Whatever kind of kid Daryl had been you weren’t entirely sure but there was some evidence in his old bedroom. A single bed with plaid covers, stacks of magazines about cars and hunting, old scraps of metal and tools that he had probably used or still did. A far cry from the peach walls and stacks of books and Emory college memorabilia that covered the walls. 

“Your room is nice.” 

“Ya really like ta bullshit don’t ya?” Daryl called from the living room. 

“I’m not bullshitting.” You slipped out of your dress and changed into the sweatpants and King County middle school field day shirt that Daryl had found in the bottom of his dresser. He’d even given up a clean pair of socks for you to wear. You came back out with your dress folded up in your arms. Daryl was sitting on the couch, watching some infomercial on TV. “Thanks for the clothes.” 

“Figured ya still owe me a jacket so I’ll just add it ta yer tab.” He replied, shrugging. 

“You said ‘keep it’ when I offered to give the jacket back.” You said, trying to imitate his drawl. 

“Yeah not for two months.” 

“It’s not been two months,” you dropped onto the couch beside him, “it’s like, the second week of December.” 

\- 

The trouble with having work on Saturday was that anytime you went out on a Friday night you struggled to get yourself out of bed when the alarm went off. But, usually, the alarm went off and you rolled yourself out of bed against your will and you got to work. A routine that wasn’t your favorite but wasn’t entirely unusual. What was unusual was your pager going off instead of your alarm. 

And something moving underneath you. 

You opened your eyes as you felt your body being shifted around again and only then did you become fully aware of your surroundings. You weren’t home. You weren’t tucked in bed after the dance, waiting for a cursed alarm to remind you that you had agreed to take a shift at 7am. Instead you were on a couch. Or more accurately, on Daryl, on a couch, in his house. 

“Shit.” You cursed, sitting up and grabbing your purse off the ground. The pager flashed a call me message from Patricia and you groaned, climbing off the couch and a just waking Daryl to call her back on the phone in his kitchen. 

“Patricia’s Diner-” 

“Patty, hi.” 

“Oh my gosh, sweetie, there you are. I was just about to call your mom!” Patricia shrieked over the phone. “I was so worried about you! Where are you? Your shift started 30 minutes ago.” 

“I’m so sorry, I spent the night at a friend’s house after the dance, I’ll be there in like ten minutes.” You promised. 

“Are you alright? You aren’t in trouble?” 

“No, Patty I swear I’m fine. I will see you in like ten minutes.” You rushed her through the phone call, promising to see her once more before you hung up. Daryl was still laying on the couch, arm slung over his face. You ran back into the living room and nudged him, “Daryl, wake up.” 

“Shit,” Daryl grumbled and rolled away from you. 

“Daryl, please.” 

“Go away,” his words were half obscured by the couch cushions. 

“Fine, I’ll walk home barefoot in December back to my house, freezing cold-” 

“I’m gettting up.” Daryl rolled back over onto his back and looked up at you the slightest grin on his face as he came further out of his haze. 

“Will you drive me home to change and possibly to work?” You asked. 

“Didn’t know fixing yer jeep meant I was your chauffer too.” He said, getting up and heading into the bathroom. 

“Thank you!” 

Daryl did exactly what you asked, driving you first to your house to change out of the sweatpants and t-shirt that he had lent you and then driving you to the diner for work. Neither of you mentioned the position you had woken up in. The ride was usually quiet in fact; even when he dropped you off at the diner you had said a quick goodbye and then gotten out of the truck. 

The pager had set you off so much that you hadn’t really gotten a chance to think about the way it felt waking up on the couch with Daryl, tucked in between him the cushions. Your head had been on his chest and the more you thought about it the more your heart raced at the way he had tightened his grip on you just the slightest as you slipped out of his arms to use the phone. While you wished you could’ve stayed there longer you were almost grateful to patty for calling you. At least it gave both of you a quick out so that you didn’t have to embarrass yourself in front of him. 

The last thing you needed was to embarrass yourself in front of Daryl.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl surprises the reader at the Winter Fest

“I saw Tiny at the gazebo today with Axel; hanging lights.” You mentioned, sitting in the carport while Daryl worked on the Jeep. He’d spent the other day, after dropping you off at the diner, putting up temporary plastic walls to seal out the cold in the carport. You couldn’t help being grateful as you sat in front of the space heater.

“Deanna asked Dale if we’d put in some overtime decoratin’ for that damn festival they’re putting on.” Daryl replied. He wasn’t thrilled to be stuck doing menial crap around the town center like stringing lights and hanging stupid snowflake decorations for something that was, in his mind, unnecessary. 

“Are you going?” You asked. You’d spent two hours on the phone yesterday after church discussing outfit options with Maggie, whose initial grounding was being slowly lifted. Phone calls had been reinstated, at least to you.   
“Are ya joking?” Daryl looked like he was sure you were joking. 

“No. I’m going. It’s a lot of fun.” 

“It ain’t that fun. Think yer just remembering it better than it is.” 

“I am not. There’s hot chocolate and they get that band to play-” 

“A bunch a old men in stupid get-ups ain’t a band.” He replied. 

“So sour.” You teased, laughing at him when he glared at you. “Well, if you do go, I’ll be there.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” You bit your lip to stop from smiling as he went back to working on the car. He hadn’t flat out rejected the idea of going there and seeing you. He had been in to the diner a few times with Axel or T-Dog but outside of the carport you usually couldn’t get him to acknowledge your existence. You knew that your parents would have a heart attack if they found out that you were entertaining any thoughts of him at all so talking to each other and seeing each other had to be done carefully, but you couldn’t help the feeling in your stomach at the thought of him showing up at the Lights Festival to see you. 

“I’m thinking yer car’ll be fixed by the new year.” Daryl mentioned.

Oh. “Oh.” You stopped taking notes, looking up at him again, “okay.” 

“Course ya still owe me the third payment.” 

“I told you, Friday!” When you caught sight of his smile you laughed, “Friday.” 

“Ya said that last Friday.” 

“I did not! So mean to me.” 

“I’m mean ta ya? I been chaperoning ya around town at least once a week. Working on yer car...entertaining ya. Lost countless clothes ta ya.” He replied, listing off things that he’d done for you. 

“Oh my god, one jacket which you said I could keep. You said the sweatpants and shirt didn’t fit anymore.” You pointed out. 

“Didn’t mean ya could keep it forever.” 

“I will bring it back to you.” 

He looked over, grinning, “nah.” 

You smiled, “come to the festival on Saturday and I’ll give you the third payment.” 

“Thought ya said Friday?” 

“Yeah but if you come on Saturday you can see me at the festival, I’m helping with the church booth. Annette asked me.” 

“Tempting.” 

\- 

Friday was a half-day, most of the kids having been roped into helping to finish setting up for the Light Festival. You and Tara had used the opportunity to walk to 7-11 before your shift at the diner. Both of you were sitting on the handicap ramp, eating convenience store hot dogs and a shared bag of family size Doritos. 

“How late do you work tonight?” Tara asked. She had been trying to coordinate everyone getting together for a few weeks now but with most of you working it was hard to find the time. “Glenn said he’s got off and so does Rosita. I think Eugene only works until like nine.” 

“I get off at ten.” You replied, “I can-” you cut yourself off when you noticed the truck that was pulling up to a gas pump. You scooted over so that you were partially blocked by Tara and watched Daryl get out of the truck. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Nothing.” 

Tara looked over and saw the truck, smiling, “oh my god. Maggie wasn’t lying, you are obsessed.” She laughed. 

“I’m not. We’re just like...I don’t know. He’s cool and I like hanging out with him.” 

“And you think he’s hot.” 

“What, is that a crime?” 

Tara just shook her head as she continued to eat, “so go say hi.” 

“What? No way. I don’t wanna bother him.” 

“Hey! Dixon!” Tara shouted, waving her hand for him to come over. 

Daryl frowned, not recognizing the girl that was waving at him. As he got closer, he saw you sitting there across from her. You gave him a wave and smiled, “sorry.” 

“Ya ain’t cause yer smiling.” 

“So how’s it going?” Tara asked, grinning as she looked between the two of you. 

“Fine.” 

Tara balled up her hotdog foil and grabbed her empty soda, “I’m gonna throw this away, I’ll be right back.” She stood up and walked over to the trash can at the other end of the store, taking her time to leave the two of you alone for a little while. 

“Have you changed your mind about the festival?” You asked, standing up and leaning against the railing. Daryl stood on the other side, hands gripping the railing on either side of yours. 

“I told ya no.” He replied, grinning and biting at his thumb. 

“Okay-” 

“I’ll be around Saturday afternoon though, work on the Jeep if ya wanna stop by.” 

“I’ll try, I’ve gotta be at the sign up table for early.” You said, smiling. 

\- 

Despite swearing that he would not be at the festival on Saturday night Daryl found himself there anyway. You were exactly where you said you’d be, sitting at the booth for the church with Maggie Greene, bundled in his jacket with a hat and a scarf to keep you warm. People milled around the area, stopping at tables and getting food. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing here; admitting that he was here to see you was a little more than he was capable of handling at the moment. 

He was here now though. 

“Here, keep ya warm.” 

You jumped at the sound of someone beside you, turning to see Daryl standing there with a paper coffee cup. You smiled, tucking your chin into your scarf. “Thank you,” you took the cup, taking a sip of the hot chocolate that he’d bought three tables over. 

“That looks good,” Maggie announced, “think I’m gonna grab myself a cup.” She got up, moving around the table. When she was passed Daryl she looked back at you, winking. 

“I thought you said you didn’t do stupid town festivals?” You asked. 

“Changed my mind.” He shrugged, looking around at the people walking around. “Actually got something done on yer car today, since ya weren’t there talking my ear off.” 

“I do not talk your ear off.” You laughed, “I bet you missed me.” 

He shook his head but you saw him smiling. “How’s Maggie doing? With her boyfriend-” 

“Glenn?” You asked. 

“Yeah,” he nodded. He didn’t necessarily care about Maggie or her boyfriend but he’d heard you mention it enough times to know that you cared. 

“He’s here somewhere, they’re supposed to be meeting up. She didn’t tell me anything so I can have plausible deniability if anyone asks.” You replied. 

“Plenty a times I could’ve used that.” He commented. 

You laughed and took a sip of your hot chocolate, appreciative of the feeling of warmth that spread through you. It was cold out, even for Georgia, too cold for a town gathering but the Winter Fest was a big deal in King County. This was the first year Daryl could remember going. 

“Jacket looks familiar.” He chewed at his lower lip as he watched you, admiring the way you looked with his jacket on. 

“I know I said I’d return it but it’s warm.” You replied, pulling it tighter around you. “Still smells a little like cigarettes though,” you scrunched your nose up and he rolled his eyes. 

“Can’t imagine why.” He said, fishing a cigarette out of the pack that was in his pocket and lighting it. “I ain’t gonna get struck down for smoking at the church table am I?” 

“No.” You replied, “if you make a donation to the church?” You grabbed the empty coffee tin that was sitting there for donations and shook it. Daryl scoffed but he pulled two dollars out of his pocket and dropped them in. “Thank you, now we can go save a bunch of perfectly happy people in Mexico from eternal damnation and ruin their lives.” You grinned and Daryl shook his head at you again. 

“Yer something else.” 

“Something good?” 

“I shouldn’t hang around too long.” He replied, looking back around as if people might realize that he’s there, ‘corrupting’ a sweet church girl like yourself. 

“Wish you would.” You replied, feeling bold as his cheeks tinted redder than before. You smiled, watching him run a hand through his hair. 

“I’ll see ya tomorrow.” Daryl said, smoke seeping out as he spoke. Your eyes widened just slightly as you watched the smoke dance in the air. 

“Okay.” 

He nodded as if in confirmation, taking a step away from the table before turning around and heading back through the crowd. You leaned back in your chair, pulling his jacket closer and smiling as you watched his retreating back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Eve in King County

Christmas Eve in King County, like everything else, was marked by the church. There was the Christmas Eve midnight service that Hershel led, the living nativity set up in the middle of the square, for the days leading up to Christmas, and, of course, Annette’s Christmas Eve dinner at the farm for all the church congregation to gather together. It was more of an open house and you always ended up ‘working it’ though it was really just a glorified dinner, no need for servers and no one got paid for the shift.

“Are you busy on Thursday?” You asked the question innocently, leaving out the part where Thursday was also Christmas Eve. 

“Dunno,” Daryl shrugged, wiping his hands on the rag hanging out of his pocket as he turned to face you. A welcome distraction, having you around had prolonged the work that Daryl could’ve easily completed in two months. He was always stopping and starting when you came over though, more interested in you than in the car. Before he might’ve denied it but after Thanksgiving, he knew it was true, Rick had been right about him having feelings for someone. It wasn’t something he was used to but it was something. 

“It’s Christmas Eve.” 

“I got a calendar.” He replied, smiling when you pouted at him.

“Well if you’re calendar isn’t too booked maybe you’d come to the dinner Annette’s having at the Greene farm?” You replied, “it’s always a lot of fun.”

“Wouldn’t know, ain’t never been invited to it before.” 

“I’m inviting you now.” 

“Dunno,” he walked the short distance to the fridge and grabbed a beer out, “I’m not exactly a participating member of the community.”

“Dale will be there,” you offered, skimming over his last sentence. You knew he wasn’t anyone’s favorite person and you’d heard a good deal of Dixon stories from everyone who had heard that you were getting your car fixed by Daryl but that hadn’t dampened your opinion. Just because a bunch of people thought they knew him didn’t mean they did. “I’ll be there.”

“Ya want me ta spend Christmas Eve listening ta yer yammering on?” Daryl asked. You caught the hint of a smile and you knew he wasn’t as opposed to the idea as he was saying. 

“Maybe…beats me showing up here to interrupt your night.”

-

“So you asked him to come to Christmas Eve dinner?” Maggie asked, standing beside the wooden structure meant to represent the manger, white and blue cloths and headdress covering her jeans and thermal shirt. It was chillier than either of you would’ve liked tonight.

“Yeah, thought it’d be nice, he’s never been.” You pointed out. You had been sent over with thermoses of hot chocolate and cups for the manger volunteers, standing a short way off so that you didn’t ‘break the illusion’. 

“I highly doubt that Patty sent you over here to chitchat. You girls need to be better stewards of your time and your tongues.” Jacqui called, beckoning Maggie over as she spoke. You frowned, watching as Maggie rejoined the nativity cast. You weren’t a fan of King County’s holiest member of the community or her perception that she was better than everyone else. 

Jacqui was a central member of the church, a ward against gossip though she had a tongue for it herself, and a general know-it-all. She had been managing the 7-11 in town since the owner had franchised his small business to them, before you were even born. She even rented the house that sat just to the left. There was a picture of the original business hanging behind the counter at the 7-11, the house with two gas pumps in front of it, an older man and his wife standing on the porch. Somehow all that deemed Jacqui a sort of unspoken ‘elder’ member of the community. A gossip but an important voice in the town. On par with Patricia, Annette, and Hershel though she was younger. 

Her voice was important to everyone but you. 

“I heard you were in again the other day with that Dixon fella, buying cigarettes.” She mentioned when she came over, claiming to want some hot chocolate.

“The cigarettes were his, I don’t smoke,” you replied, watching the nativity scene. Having a job this Christmas had saved you from having to participate with all the rest of the youth group and you were more than thankful for that. “Besides, he’s working on my car, like I keep saying.”

“I’d said you’re spending a little too much time in his company. Might not’ve picked up his smoking but you picked up his need for talking-back.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes as you smiled at her, “sorry Miss Jacqui, didn’t mean anything by it, must be the cold getting to me.” 

“Must be.” 

When she walked away again to reign in Joseph and a Wise Man you capped the rest of the hot chocolate and left it by the church table that was set up for donations. You weren’t lying about the cold, it was nearing forty at night as it got closer to January. Nothing you liked but you made due as long as you weren’t outside for too long. It was only when Patricia made you do ridiculous things like walk hot chocolate across the street to the living nativity that you really had to brave the weather. 

“Oh good you’re back, you got a table. I was gonna take his order but he said he didn’t ‘want nothing yet’ figured he might be waiting for ya.” Amy said, bumping her hip against yours as you took your coat off, whispering and glancing over her shoulder to your section as she spoke. 

You looked back, biting your lip to stop the smile on your face at the sight of Daryl sitting there reading over the menu. You grabbed your apron from the rack and tied it around your waist, “I got it, thanks.”

“He’s some trouble ya know.” Amy mentioned. 

“He’s Just fixing my car.” You replied and even as you said it you knew it sounded like a lie. You walked over to his table, smiling when he looked up at you. 

“Heard ya were bringing hot chocolate ta baby Jesus.” He said, grin in place.

“Yea course, haven’t you read that bit in the bible?” You teased. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Your own hot chocolate?” 

“Coffee’s fine.”

“What brings you in?” You asked, hovering at the table, thankful for the slow night. 

“Figured yer always showing up ta harass me while I work, ain’t fair I don’t give ya the same treatment.” Daryl replied. 

You bit your bottom lip, preparing for a comeback when you heard Patricia call your name from behind the counter. She’d come out of the kitchen to see you standing at Daryl’s table, smiling at him like he just hung the stars and she’d almost had a heart attack. Patricia had seen him come in and had known, the moment he sat himself in your section, that he wasn’t moving anytime soon. She’d listened to you tell her the same story over and over again, that Daryl was fixing the jeep and that as soon as he was done so would your seeing him be. 

“I only see him to pay him for the job.” 

But Patricia wasn’t some naive young kid who you could pull the wool over. She’d been around the block a time or two and knew exactly what kind of temptations you were wading into hanging around Daryl Dixon. 

“I’ll be right back with your coffee.” You promised, turning away from him and walking back to the counter. Patricia looked passed you, eyebrow raised in disdain as she watched Daryl fiddle with his laminated menu. 

“Are you out of your damn mind?” 

“What?” You asked innocently, “I was talking to a customer.”

“I have half a mind to call your mother and tell her you been hanging around Dixon on your off time.” Patricia said. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Patty,” you insisted. If she called your parents then it was over. Your car would be in Woodbury, you would be grounded worse than Maggie could imagine, and you’d likely never see Daryl again. 

“You watch yourself, you’re in dangerous territory.” 

“He’s just fixing-” 

“Your car. I heard.” Patricia replied. 

“Can you hand me a coffee?” You asked, changing the subject.

She went to the other side of the counter to grab you a cup of coffee for Daryl while you turned back to look over at him. As if on some cue he looked over at you and you smiled. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck and you caught the faint pink the blossomed over his cheeks. 

“One coffee.” Patricia said, setting it down and catching your attention again, “charge him this time.”

“I’ll make sure to get the dollar from him,” you replied, taking the cup and walking back over to Daryl’s table. Patricia shook her head, despite her friendship with your parents and the Greene’s she’d kept plenty of secrets for you and Maggie over the years. She hadn’t told them about Glenn and Maggie dating, she hadn’t told your parents about your tardiness over Thanksgiving or Daryl dropping off the pie plate when you’d claimed you were bringing the apple pie to Tara. She just wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing not telling them you were falling deeper and deeper into something with Daryl. 

It was unspoken knowledge the way Will Dixon treated his kids. While Daryl’s mother hadn’t been some innocent girl getting taken advantage of she had loved her kids, Daryl a little more than Merle probably. She’d never hit them but she never stayed sober passed three in the afternoon and Patricia could still remember the senior Mr. Grimes coming in after the fire burned down the old house telling them about Daryl arriving home in time to see the place ablaze. 

Losing his mother, watching his brother leave, enduring years of abuse from his father, Patricia couldn’t help but worry that the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree with Daryl. She’d been watching for any sign of abuse on you but she hadn’t seen any. If anything, you seemed happier than you had been in a while and it was that Patricia relied on to make herself feel better about not telling your parents that you were occupying your time with a Dixon. 

“Ya working late?” Daryl asked as you idled by his table.

“I’ve got thirty more minutes then I’m free to trudge home in the cold.” You replied, “I’m going to Maggie’s…we’re setting up the barn tomorrow for the Christmas Eve party.”

“Ya need a ride?”

“Do you mind driving Maggie too?” 

He shook his head. Daryl had come to the diner tonight just to see you. Aside from going to Dale’s for work or 7-11 for a pack of smokes he didn’t frequent too many places in King County. He was far from an active member in the community but he’d been turning up more often. The diner for one, the Winter Fest where Otis had spied him at the church table talking to you. He’d come tonight because he definitely wasn’t planning on going to the Christmas Eve party dinner that you had invited him to but he did have a present for you. Stupid, he was sure, but a present nonetheless. 

You paged Maggie to tell her to meet you at the diner and finished out the rest of your shift while Daryl drank his coffee, paid, and left to smoke out in the parking lot. He was there, toking on a cigarette, when you exited the diner with your backpack. 

“I really don’t like closing. I hate having to clean up.” You confessed as you came out to meet him. 

“Shifts a shift.” He shrugged and you rolled your eyes at his words. “Here, ‘fore Maggie comes over and I gotta hear the two a ya bitching about the Nativity or something.”

“You don’t have to drive us.” You replied, taking the box wrapped in newspaper that he had handed you, “is this a present? Did you get me a present?”

“Ain’t nothing special…don’t get so excited.” He said, chewing his thumb as you opened the gift he’d bought. Sitting in the little box was a keychain. A leather strap folded over and fastened onto a thin metal plate that attached it to the key hook. The leather was embroidered with clumsy little flowers in yellow with green leaves. 

“This is so pretty.” You smiled at Daryl, holding the keychain close as you gave him a one-armed hug.

Daryl tensed and pulled away, huffing as he tried to appear indifferent about the keychain, he’d made himself, “none a that, it ain’t nothing expensive. Just thought ya’d like it.”

“I love it, thank you.”

“I’m here, I’m here.” Maggie’s voice cut through your conversation as she came around the side of the truck, brushing out her hair from being pinned back in Mary’s head covering. Daryl dropped his cigarette and stubbed it out with his boot to distract himself from the blush that had started warming his cheeks when you hugged him. “Hi Daryl.” Maggie greeted.

“Hey,” he nodded to her before heading around to the driver’s side of the truck. You climbed in first, taking the middle seat, while Maggie climbed in second. You slipped the leather keychain back into the box and held it on your lap as Daryl pulled out of the diner with the two of you, heading toward Hershel’s farm. 

The ride was quiet, a lull of conversation as Maggie complained about Jacqui and the other youth group kids that had been roped into the nativity. You stayed quiet, knee pressed against Daryl’s and hands gripping present he had given you, unable to contain the smile on your face. The truck drove the dirt path up to the farm and Daryl cut the engine, Maggie already opening the door and slipping out.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” Daryl replied, huffing out smoke as you slide across the seat, suddenly cold from the loss of touch. He was gripping the steering wheel with one hand as he watched you get out of the truck, lingering in the door like you always did.

“I do have a present for you, by the way.” You mentioned, spying the newspaper wrapping crumpled on the floor of the truck. 

“Ya don’t have ta waster yer money.”

“Too late.” You teased. You met his eyes and your smile widened. On the other side of the truck you could hear the front door clatter open, the familiar squeak of the springs on the screen and footsteps bounding down as Beth ran across the headlights to engulf you in a hug.

“I missed you!” 

“Hi Beth, I missed you too!”

Still holding your waist she caught sight of Daryl for the first time and twisted, moving her body behind yours and peeking out at him. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Daryl dropped his cigarette into the ashtray in the truck as he nodded his head to her, “yer Beth I take it.”

“I am.”

“I like yer braids.” He mentioned, watching the sweet smile she offered as she moved further out so he could see the blonde french braids clearer.

“Thank you! My mom did them for me so that my hair will be wavy tomorrow for Christmas Eve.”

“I’m sure it’ll look beautiful.”

She giggled and you bit your lip as your eyes met his. “I’d better get inside, thanks for the ride.”

“Sure thing, see ya ‘round.”

You walked Beth inside, her gaze wandering back to the pickup as she climbed the porch stairs with you. “Is that your boyfriend?”

“No. Daryl’s not my boyfriend.”

“She wishes.” Maggie teased, waiting at the door for the two of you. 

-

The barn at Christmas was arguably one of your favorite sights in the world. Hershel took great pride in outlining the entire building with lights, he hung a oversized wreath on the side with a large spotlight and the whole thing felt like you were walking into a Hallmark movie or a Thomas Kincaide mural. Georgia didn’t a lot of real winter weather but the barn made you feel like you were in some New England town.

“I was sorry to hear your dad couldn’t make it.” Jacqui came up behind you, her voice returning you to the reality of the evening. Hershel’s barn decorated at Christmas was your favorite but the people who filled it weren’t. 

“Yeah, he wishes he could be.” You shrugged. “Working.” 

“That’s what your mom said. At least he’s a good worker right? Must be where you get it from.”

Just passed Jacqui you could see your mom talking to Annette. Her eyes met yours and she straightened up, pointing to her mouth and indicating for you to smile. You straightened your back and offered Jacqui a closed lip smile before answering her, “yeah. Must be.” 

When Jacqui left to talk to another church member your mom made a quick beeline for you, wrapping her hand around your arm and guiding you outside, away from the party. “What did Jacqui want?”

“She was just asking about dad-”

“What did you say?”

“I said he was at work. God, mom we went over this in the car…I’m not stupid.” You crossed your arms in front of you, looking away from her. 

“You didn’t say anything to Maggie?”

“No.” 

“Hey!” She grabbed at your jaw to make you look at her, nails scratching against your cheek, “look at me. Did you tell Maggie?”

“No. I didn’t say anything to anyone mom.” You replied, pulling away from her and stepping back, “can I go back inside or did you want to assault me some more?”

“For Gods sake stop being so dramatic.”

“Dramatic? You dragged me out here to ask if I told some random person that my dad is in rehab for the billionth ti-”

“Keep your voice down!” She snapped, “you want everyone to hear you?” 

“Sorry mama.” 

She smoothed back your hair, pushing stray pieces away from your face and fixing your headband for you before leading you both back inside for the continuation of the night. Neither of you spoke to each other the rest of the evening. Not in the car on the way to the service at church and not once you’d gotten home. You went in your room to change and listened to her in the kitchen, trying to throw together a lunch as she prepared to work through the holiday. A knock on your bedroom door was the only thing to signify that she was leaving and would likely work the whole of Christmas. 

The Greene’s would be confused if you went to theirs too early in the morning and you didn’t want to disturb Daryl any more than you already did by showing up at his. Tara was spending the holiday upstate visiting her sister and seeing her niece. The diner was closed. You opted for going straight to bed once your dress was off and your face was clean…hopefully you’d be lucky and you’d sleep through the holiday.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and the reader spend the day together.

“I think ya ain’t as smart as ya tell me ya are,” Daryl joked as he caught sight of you walking into Dale’s Autobody shop, still in your uniform from the diner. Three days after Christmas and you’d been working as many hours as Patricia would give you. Both you and your mom trying to stay away from the house and each other as much as possible. 

“I most definitely am. Why?” You asked, ducking your head down into the car he was working on when he sat down in the front seat. A newer model Nissan he’d been cursing since the owner brought it in. 

“Cause I tell ya all the time not ta come in here and where are ya?” He asked, looking over at you. 

“It’s not my fault, Axel said you said you’re almost done my baby.” You teased. Axel had told you over ordering his lunch that Daryl had mentioned to T-Dog that he was nearly done the work on the Jeep. Took a while, he had lamented, but he was finally, almost done. “Heard you’re glad to be rid of me.”

“Ain’t what I said,” he replied, “said I was glad ta be rid a that fucking jeep. Pain in my ass.” 

“Now I know you’re talking about me.” 

Daryl’s expression changed for a brief second, eyes fixing on the faint pink lines on your cheek. Barely noticeable but they hadn’t been there before Christmas. “What happened?” He tapped his finger against the same spot on his face to indicate what he was asking about. 

“Just a cat scratch. Hershel’s got a couple to keep the mice away and I couldn’t resist trying to pet one.” 

“They’re nasty creatures…yer lucky he didn’t take yer whole face off.” He replied, climbing back out of the car again. “Ya on break?”

You shook your head, “I picked up a shift from Amy, I got an hour to kill before I start for her.” 

“Ain’t I lucky.” 

“So, is my car really almost fixed?” You asked. You pulled the rolling stool over from the work bench and sat down, spinning once. 

“Just about.” He replied. 

Daryl hated to admit it but he’d been dragging his feet on the project and when he realized that he was nearing completion and your car would be fixed he was half tempted to break it all over again. Sure, you liked stopping in now, chatting him up before or after a shift, bumming rides, showing up at his house to spend your afternoons sitting under the car park. But once the car was fixed you wouldn’t need him to entertain you anymore. You could go to your friends houses or anywhere really, but you didn’t have to hang out with him. He wasn’t going to tell you yet but he’d let it slip to T-Dog and once one of them knew they practically broadcast it. 

“You working late?” You asked, wheeling yourself over next to him. 

“Why, ya don’t know anyone else with a car?”

“Why bother them when I have you?” You tilted your head back to look up at him and smile. You looked like a little kid with your eyes closed and a smile wide enough that he could see all your teeth. 

He rolled his eyes at you and reached over, swiping his greasy finger down your nose and making you jump suddenly at the contact. Your eyes opened and you slid back against the car. “Careful ya don’t scratch her.”

“Did you rub grease on my nose!” You whined, trying to rub it off with the back of your hand but only making more of a mess. 

Daryl shrugged, “ain’t nice ta tease.” 

“Do you have a bathroom here?” 

He pointed toward the back of the shop and you got up, headed for the bathroom to wipe the grease off your face. 

In truth Daryl wasn’t the only one who wasn’t looking forward to the car being fixed. Your throat felt like it dropped into your stomach when Axel told you that Daryl was almost finished the car. It sent you thinking…if Daryl told Axel did that mean he was glad it was almost finished? Was he looking forward to having you out of his hair finally? You scrubbed the grease off your face and frowned at your reflection. You didn’t want this to end. 

“So, ya need a ride later?” Daryl asked once you came out of the bathroom. 

“Yeah if you don’t mind.” You replied.

“Nah,” he shrugged as if he was indifferent toward driving you home, “ain’t got nothing better ta do.” 

-

You hung around a little while longer before you headed back to the diner for work. The whole night you felt distracted by Axel’s news from earlier. You were desperate to get some advice from Maggie but there wasn’t much she could offer, Glenn didn’t need any persuading to be madly in love with her. They’d been together since the 6th grade winter dance and there was no doubt in your mind that nothing, not even Hershel’s stupid rules, could keep them apart. 

Glenn and Maggie were the exception to the rule. Daryl wasn’t tripping over himself to profess his love for you. Half the time you weren’t even totally sure that he liked you. There were glimpses of something that might’ve been something but trust you to choose someone so hard to read. You spent the whole dinner rush trying to think up less costly ways to spend time with him that wouldn’t annoy him or make him feel like you were some stupid kid. The word kid alone was not necessarily something you wanted him to associate with you. 

The idea sparked when he pulled up outside at the end of your shift, parking his truck by the door. You ignored Lori’s comment about Dixon’s being bad news. She ‘went to school with him’ and somehow that had made her the only reputable source on him, at least in her mind. Coupled with the fact that it was Daryl driving you home you were just happy to be done work. 

“I hate the dinner rush,” you complained as you pulled the door shut and leaned against the seat. “This lady bitched me out over the table having a mark in it, meanwhile her kids were dunking every fucking sugar packet, jam packet, and salt packet into their cups of water and then splashing them all over the table!” 

“Musta really boiled yet blood if it’s got ya cursing.” 

“I can curse.”

“I’m sure ya can.” He teased. 

You pouted, arms crossed over your chest as you slumped in the seat and Daryl reached over, jabbing you gently with his fingers against your side when he stopped at a streetlight. You laughed from the sudden sensation and pushed his hand away. 

“I’m not allowed to curse at home but I can curse.” You insisted and he only shook his head, smiling. 

“Think yer a little too sweet ta be hanging around me.” 

“Nonsense. I like hanging out with you.” You replied, “which reminds me-“

“Yeah, what now?”

“How would you feel about teaching me some basic car stuff? I don’t know anything about cars and I’d really like to learn.” 

It was the plan that had finally occurred to you halfway through your shift. You didn’t know the first thing about changing oil or fixing a tire. Hell, you couldn’t even fill it with air if you wanted to. 

“Yer dad never teach ya how ta handle a car?”

“No, I don’t even know how to put windshield washer in it.” 

“A’right, I’ll teach ya. After I finish working on yer car.” He replied. You had only been considering yourself when you formulated your master plan but Daryl couldn’t help the brief flutter of excitement that he felt thinking you’d decided to ask him to help. Even if it was just so you could navigate the basics it still meant that you would willingly be spending more time with him. 

“Seriously?” You asked, smiling over at him. 

“Yeah, why not? Ya should know how ta fix yer car.” He replied, “simple stuff…still gotta make money.”

“I might get so good I’ll steal your business.” You replied. 

“Sure ya could.” He pulled up where he always did, your house visible from his spot parking along the sidewalk. It was dark, just the post lantern by the front of the driveway on. “Yer parents ain’t home?” No cars were in the driveway. 

“My mom’s already left for work.” You shrugged, opening the door to the truck. 

“She be gone all night?”

“I can stay by myself, promise.” You laughed to make a joke of it but you usually spent the night in the living room, talking to Tara or Maggie until they eventually went to sleep. You hated being home alone. 

“I ain’t got anywhere ta be.” Daryl shrugged, offering some company. 

“You don’t mind staying?” 

The inside of your house was exactly what Daryl had expected. A far cry from the worn down, dirty home that he lived in with his father, this was pristine. As if no one had ever sat on the furniture or lived in the house. There weren’t any family pictures but there was Christian art in its place. Tasteful, Martha Stewart-esque Christmas decorations were highlighted through out the living room and kitchen, both spotless. 

Daryl pulled a face at the décor at you laughed, “my mom went on a pier one kick a few years ago trying to outdo the Walshs.” 

“Can’t complain, it’s nicer than mine ever was.” He replied, looking over the table top tree, “yer dad at work too?”

“No. I mean, he’s away. Visiting family.” You said, heading into the kitchen, “my mom works overnight at the hospital, she’s been doing a lot doubles lately though. I’ll be right out, I’m gonna change!” 

Daryl nodded but didn’t say anything, flicking on the rest of the living room lights to get a better look at the room. The only pictures that weren’t nature landscapes or birds were on the mantle. A church directory photo of you and your parents from this year and your senior portrait, the traditional black off the shoulder look with a rose in your hand. 

“I hate that picture,” you complained as you came back into the room. “I look hideous.” 

“Don’t think that’s possible but I ain’t gonna argue.” Daryl replied. “Least I ain’t the only one who don’t have family pictures up.”

“My mom hates candid pictures. She’d never hang them up.” You settled on the couch and watched as Daryl walked back to the door to kick his shoes off. “I don’t have beer but there’s soda in the fridge.”

“I ain’t ever drinking beer ‘round you again. Yer a terrible influence. Ain’t Glenn Hershel should be worried ‘bout.” Daryl teased, coming over to sit beside you. 

“What? No! I am not a bad influence!” You laughed, “I’ve never done anything wrong in my whole life.” 

“I been witness to a few things.”

“No one will believe you.” 

“Ain’t that the truth.” He said, thinking briefly that no one would even believe he was here right now, sitting your house with you while you clicked through channels. He’d be hard pressed to convince them that you had even bummed a cigarette off him, especially if they saw the sweet looking church photo of you with your parents. 

“So what kind of car things will you teach?” You asked, ignoring the channel you’d chosen and turning more toward Daryl. 

“What kinda car things ya need ta learn?”

“Everything but how to drive?” You replied, biting your lip. 

“Well I ain’t seen ya drive so I can’t cross it off the list just yet.”

“I’m a good driver.” 

“Yeah? You working tomorrow morning?” He asked, looking back toward the TV. 

“No, I’ve got off.” 

“Alright, I gotta pick up my check in Woodbury, I’ll let you drive me for once.” 

“In my Jeep?”

“Hell no, ya ain’t getting in that thing ‘fore it’s fixed. You can drive the truck.” He replied. The truck was his brother Merle’s originally but Merle was in jail and he hadn’t spent the last three years fixing every inch of it to have it running like new. It might’ve been Merle’s to begin with but that old Chevy was Daryl’s pride and joy. He didn’t let anyone get behind the wheel, not even Rick or T-Dog, but he was offering it up to you. 

“I’ll be the best driver you’ve ever seen.”


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl sat in the passenger seat, window rolled down as he smoked a cigarette, watching you sitting behind the wheel of his truck was more enticing than he thought it would be. He figured, this truck being akin to a child, that he’d be keeping an eye on you so that you didn’t damage her while you were driving but in fact it was just the sight of you in the driver’s seat, taking precious care of something special to him, that was making it hard to turn his gaze away. 

“Ya ain’t a bad driver.” Daryl commented, smoking blowing out the open window as he spoke. 

“I told you!” You laughed, “you know Rick Grimes?”

“Yeah, how do you?”

“Our mama’s went to school together, his mom’s my godmother. But he taught me to drive.” You supplied. 

A week before you got your permit your dad went on a week-long bender that resulted in his third stint in rehab. Your mom had asked Rick if he minded teaching you, telling him that your dad’s brother had passed away and he’s gone up to Virginia to be with his family. One year he’d caught the flu and another time an uncle in Tennessee had passed and he’d gone to bed with family’ because apparently your mother had married a family man. 

Rick had been happy to help and you’d been happy to have him teach you. If you could’ve had an older brother you were sure you would’ve wanted it to be Rick. He was a little older than you, Daryl’s age, but he had always hung back at kids’ tables and parties and church picnics with you, never letting you feel left out. 

“He ain’t too bad.”

“Of a person or of a driver?” You asked, glancing over at Daryl as you slowed to a stop at a streetlight. 

“Both, likes to hassle me whenever he drops by.” 

“I didn’t know you were friends!” You said, already preparing all the questions you were going to ask him next time he came into the diner. 

“Ain’t clipping pictures to my visor or nothing,” he remarked, grinning when you frowned at him. There was a picture of Maggie and you from last year’s Harvest Festival clipped to your visor in your jeep and Daryl had teased you about it when he’d first noticed it there. 

“I’m gonna get a picture of me and clip it to your visor so you can see my smiling face every morning.” You replied. 

“Lucky me.” He managed to sound sarcastic as he said it but he thought immediately that he wouldn’t mind a picture of you in his truck, tucked away to look at whenever he was having a shitty day. 

“Where am I going once I get in to Woodbury?” You asked, crossing over the pike to take the back way into town. You liked backroads better than the main highways, something you and Daryl had in common. He wasn’t as much of a backseat driver as you thought that he would be. 

“The industrial park on the other side of Cartwright…ya know where that is?”

“As long as you tell me where to turn.” You passed the Woodbury diner, the chrome exterior catching the sun and drawing your attention. “We should get food there on the way back.”

“This ain’t a whole day thing…I got stuff ta do when I get back.” Daryl replied, taking a look passed you to the diner as the truck continued on.

“It’ll be fun, come on.” You begged, glancing over at him. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

-

Daryl lacked the ability to say no to you, something he had already known to be true but discovered over again when he told you to pull into the diner in Woodbury after a stop off at the bank to cash his check. You led him to a table in the back that had a tiny jukebox on it and he rolled his eyes as you ignored the menu in favor of finding a quarter. 

“Ya play any a that crap ya listen to I’m leaving ya here.” Daryl piped up as you dropped the quarter in.

“I was gonna play Dolly…it’s classic.”

He shook his head at you and you stuck your tongue out at him before settling on Bruce Springsteen. “You have a beef with the boss too?”

“Nah, this is fine.” He replied as the sounds of ‘I’m on Fire’ played in the booth. A little too on the nose, he thought, as he sat across from you watching you read over the menu. 

“Do you like working at the slaughterhouse?”

“I cut up dead cow all day long…not exactly the dream.” Daryl replied, “my brother got me the gig after I dropped out and I been working there since. Got bills to pay.”

“Does your brother still work there?”

“He’s in jail.”

“Oh. Sorry-”

“Ain’t your fault, he’s a fucking moron, got himself arrested. Been fucking up since we were kids.” He shrugged. He loved Merle but he certainly didn’t like him. Merle had gotten him in more trouble than he could keep track of. 

“I don’t have any siblings…I think I was enough.” You replied.

“I’m sure.” He teased, grinning at you. 

When the waitress came around to take your orders, she winked at you, assuming, you were sure, that the two of you were on a date. You smiled back at her and Daryl rolled his eyes when she walked away. 

“Are ya like that too?” He asked, “too perky for yer own good?”

“Probably. The happier you are the better the tip.” You replied, shrugging.

“I’m sure ya get tips just cause everyone knows who ya are.” 

“Well yeah.” You shrugged, “I can’t wait to get a different job.”

“Ya ain’t thrilled waiting on people all day?” Daryl asked, biting at his thumb to calm his nerves. He was sitting across from you at a diner and you were fishing in your bag to play the same Bruce Springsteen song over again. 

“No. I hate it. People are the worst!” You replied. There was nothing you could think of worse than having to deal with people all day. “What about you though? You have to deal with annoying people coming in to get their cars fixed.”

“Yeah I’m sitting across from one of ‘em.”

“Shut up!” You laughed, nudging his leg with your foot, “you love spending time with me.”

“You keep saying I do.” He said it but he knew that you were right. He liked spending time with you a little too much. 

-

Rick sat in the Adirondack chair that you usually occupied whenever you were over, cooler full of beer next to him. Daryl finishing some work on your jeep, showing Michonne the repairs he had done while Rick talked about passing his sheriff’s exam. 

“Ya ain’t President of the United States Rick,” Daryl cut off the second wind of the same story, laying his wrench down to look over at his best friend. Michonne laughed, shaking her head at the two of them. “Ya just made deputy.”

“Yeah and it’s a pretty big honor I’d say. Not everyone is out there making deputy D.” He replied, taking a swig of his beer. 

“Well as another person who made deputy, I’d like to point out that it isn’t the hardest thing in the world either.” Michonne piped up, grabbing a beer from the cooler. She handed one off to Daryl, taking a better look at the Jeep he was working on. A tassel made of different color yarns hung from the rearview mirror with an air freshener that looked especially feminine too, certainly not something Daryl would hang in his car. “Who’s Jeep?”

“Nobody’s, just doing a favor.”

“A favor for…” Michonne trailed off, popping the driver’s side door open. Daryl didn’t say anything as she slipped into the seat, taking a look around the inside. Vinyl stickers on the dashboard and as she scanned her eye caught the picture in the visor. 

“I been thinking the Jeep looked familiar to me,” Rick piped up. He’d thought one more than one occasion when he stopped ‘round his friend’s house that the Jeep he was working on was one he had seen around town though he couldn’t place it. “Just don’t know why.”

“That’s cause ya ain’t a good cop.” Daryl joked. Michonne laughed as she pulled the picture down and looked at it.

“I’m assuming it’s not Maggie Greene.” She said, handing off the picture to Rick.

“No, Daryl-”

“I’m just fixing her car.”

“What am I missing?” Michonne asked, looking between the two of them.

“She doesn’t need any trouble D, she gets enough of it.” Rick said, handing the picture back.

“I’m just fixing the damn car Rick. It’s my job.” Daryl repeated, tossing the wrench he’d been using, listening to it clang against the car before falling to the ground. 

“That was her backpack, wasn’t it?” 

“I didn’t ask her to come around.” He insisted. 

“You gotta stop seeing her.”

“I ain’t seeing anyone.” Daryl replied, “I gotta repeat myself? Ya ain’t her family, anyway. Ya can’t tell her what to do. Or me, for that matter.”

“Someone’s gotta look out for her.” Rick replied, “lord knows she’s not good at knowing what she needs.”

“What is going on?” Michonne asked again, stepping out of the Jeep and closing the door.

“Nothing’s going on.” Daryl snapped.

“I can’t believe your-”

“Swear to god Rick, I ain’t repeating myself again. Either shut the fuck up or get the hell off my property.”

“Whoa.” Michonne held her hand out when Daryl moved closer to Rick. She turned toward Rick, “I think you need to cool off.”

“We’re not done talking about this.” Rick announced, looking passed Michonne to Daryl. Before his best friend could say anything in response Rick was walking down the driveway to where his car was parked. He climbed in, slamming the door, before taking off.

“You wanna tell me what that was about?” Michonne asked, looking back to Daryl as he picked up the wrench he was using, “And don’t give me the ‘ain’t nothing’ excuse. I know when something is nothing and this clearly isn’t.”

“Said I’d work on her car cause she didn’t have the money to pay Dale.” Daryl shrugged. 

“And?”

“Don’t know.” He replied, honestly. He didn’t know and he didn’t like to think about it too much. 

“Come on D,”

“I said I don’t know.” He insisted, shrugging his shoulders in defeat, “I just like having her around.”

“You got a crush.” Michonne smiled, watching the way his face flushed. 

“I ain’t gonna keep ya ‘round if yer gonna make fun a me.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party at Shane's place.

Unfortunately for you Aiden was hanging around the diner, hovering at the counter and mulling over a menu like he was gonna order something when you knew he wouldn’t. Deanna might be the mayor of King County and she might live within the city limits but you knew well enough that her family spent most of their time in the nicer Newberry, outside of school, which had only just started up again, you never saw her kids. 

“Are you gonna order anytime soon? My shift ends soon Aiden.” You stressed. He’d come in claiming to want to talk to you but every time you asked he always replied with ‘can a guy get some food first’. 

“What’re you doing this weekend?” He asked, leaning against the counter as you stopped in front of him. 

“Why?”

“I’m going to Shane’s birthday party, didn’t wanna get stuck there alone.” He proposed. 

“Don’t know if you remember Aiden, but I didn’t exactly stick around the winter formal,” you commented, busying yourself with cleaning some of the cups behind the counter. “Why would I wanna go with you to Shane’s party?” 

“Get back at Shane,” he shrugged and you almost snorted at the suggestion, shaking your head. 

“I’m over that.” You replied. 

“Yeah I heard about you and Dixon, my mom said she saw you at his house…says she was worried. Sounds like she might be thinking about saying something to your mom.” Aiden mentioned. 

You stopped scrubbing the coffee cup in your hands and looked at him, shocked but maybe not surprised, “are you blackmailing me?” 

“Go out with me. Shane’s party, afterward I know a quiet spot in Newberry I bet you’ll like.” He replied, smiling at you. 

“No way in hell Aiden.” 

“Fine,” he spun on the stool like he was getting ready to leave before turning back to you, “hey you think Dale’d fire Daryl if my mom told your mom he’s been fooling around with you. Heard Rick made deputy, she could at least make him pick your boy up…I mean, you’re not eighteen yet are you?” 

You tensed, hands curling into fists as you dug your nails against your palms. “You can pick me up at 8.” 

“Cool, see you then. Wear something cute.” He smacked the counter with his hand before turning and leaving the diner, tears stinging the corners of your eyes as you thought about what he said. 

You couldn’t tell Daryl, you could already hear him telling you that he knew it was trouble spending time with him. In this instance it happened to be the other way around. You were stuck going to Shane’s birthday party as Aiden’s date all because his mom had seen you leaving Daryl’s house one day. 

“Told you to be more careful,” Maggie commented when you told her about Aiden during study hall on Friday. She was going to Shane’s with Glenn, only because it gave her an excuse to ‘run into him’ since her parents still weren’t letting them date. 

“Thanks for the support.” 

“Look, I’m sure nothing’ll happen. Daryl’s right down the street anyway, can’t you just call him up and head over there.” Maggie asked, “Aiden won’t know.” 

“Aiden will know. He threatened having Daryl arrested cause I’m not eighteen.”

“Oh my god…you haven’t?”

“No, God Maggie!” You snapped, face heating up at the thought. It wasn’t like you were some prude. Church-going, sure, but you weren’t trying to save it for marriage the way Maggie always said she wanted to. You just weren’t rushing to give it away either. 

“I’m just checking.” She insisted. “Have you done anything else?”

“No,” you slumped in your seat a little, looking over to her with a sigh, “I wish but Daryl’s Just not interested.” 

“Not interested? Please, he’s practically falling over himself when you’re around.” 

“You think so?” You perked up at the thought of him thinking of you that way. Maggie rolled her eyes and nudged you with her elbow. “Eh, not the ribs,” you said, laughing off the sharp pain in your side from her jabbing you. 

You’d gotten into it with your mom the night before about your jeep still not being fixed. An argument that had escalated into how you’re working more hours, staying out later, and being disrespectful, in her opinion. All that had culminated into her shoving you against the counter and trying to strangle you when you shoved her away. You were staying at Tara’s but you hadn’t told Maggie. She’d only tell her dad and Annette. 

“You aren’t that ticklish are you?” She asked, laughing. 

“Yeah, so what?” You smiled, readjusting the collar of your turtleneck, suddenly self-conscious of the bruise. The bell rang and you grabbed your notebook and text, “I’ll see you tonight at the party?”

“Sure.” Maggie headed to the lockers and you went straight for last period math. 

You were back in your house on Friday, after a week of staying in Newberry and taking the bus to school every morning. You weren’t particularly thrilled to be under the same roof as your mom again but you hadn’t seen Daryl in almost a week and you were seriously missing him. With your dad out of the house you knew it was putting strain on your mother’s insistence for a perfect image and part of you was relieved to tell her that you were going to Shane’s party with Aiden that night. The Walsh’s weren’t necessarily anything special around King County but you’re mom had always done PTL and Sunday School and Bridge with Mrs. Walsh and she’s been horrified when he had broken things off with you for someone else. Less so when he was still single months later. 

“Guess that someone else didn’t pan out for him the way he hoped.” Your mother commented as she put together the dessert tray she was bringing to the Ladies Auxiliary dinner at Annette’s. 

“I heard it was someone older, out of highschool.” You mentioned, coming into the kitchen in a nice dress. A more fitted one with a turtleneck to hide the still healing bruise. “This with a sweater?” You asked, turning so she could see the outfit. 

There wasn’t an outfit in your closet that your mother didn’t have to approve of first. 

“Yes, that’ll look nice.” She nodded, “do you think you and Aiden might be going somewhere? I’m less than thrilled with his mother but you know, dating the mayor’s son would have some perks.” 

“I’m not dating Aiden, he just asked me out.” You replied. 

“Well he asked you to prom too, he must be somewhat keen on you.” 

You wanted to roll your eyes at her desperate attempt to make this date into something that it wasn’t. If he hadn’t threatened Daryl you wouldn’t have gone with him at all but you didn’t want something happening or your mother finding out where you’d been spending all the time that you were out of the house. Now you were stuck going on some lame date to a party that you didn’t want to be at. 

“When’s dad supposed to be home?” You asked, “he’s been there longer this time.”

“He’s just having a harder time that usual.” Your mother insisted, “finish getting ready, don’t worry about him.” 

Aiden passed Daryl’s house on the way to the party, making some offhand comment about people like that and you ignored him, knowing he was only doing it to get a rise out of you. There was a light on in the house and you wondered if it was Daryl or his dad. Daryl’s truck was in the driveway and you had half a mind to jump out of the car and run to his house but you knew Aiden would tell his mom and cause worlds of trouble for the both of you if you even thought of that. 

The party was almost entirely what you thought it would be. Everyone standing around awkwardly, chatting and trying not to make too much noise because Jacqui lived next door and she was a better spy than a camera. You were sure she was probably sitting up in her living room watching for any sign of people misbehaving. Aiden and some of his friends brought alcohol in, smuggled in backpacks and set up in the kitchen, out of view of the windows in case Jacqui saw something. You left Aiden almost immediately, finding Maggie and Glenn in the living room and falling onto the sofa behind them. 

“Anything?” You asked, looking between them both, hopeful that something interesting had happened in the minutes between the party starting and you arriving with Aiden. 

“Not nearly as good as Halloween.” Glenn replied. The Halloween party had been great, better than this snooze fest by a mile. 

“Fantastic.” You groaned, slumping back into the couch cushions and wishing again that you were at Daryl’s. Sitting in a chair, watching him work on the jeep, was more entertaining than this. 

You remained in your spot on the couch for a while, bored out of your mind, until finally you decided wandering the house was your best bet for entertainment. Glenn and Maggie were trying, you were sure, but they always had a way of making you feel like a third wheel around them. You hit the bathroom first, opening the closet and rummaging through Mrs. Walsh’s various lotions and perfumes. You were sure your boredom hit its peak when you pulled out the scale and weighed yourself. Not unsatisfactory, heavier than you were this morning when you’re mom checked your weight to make sure you weren’t eating any processed foods. It was all for your health, so she claimed. 

“Hey, there you are.” Aiden said as you stepped out of the bathroom. He passed a red cup your way and you took it, sipping at the homemade cocktail he’d whipped up in Shane’s kitchen, “started to think my date was ditching me again.” 

“No,” you shook your head, “just looking around.” 

“We could get outta here.” 

“I’m not really interested in going anywhere but home at this point Aiden.” You replied. You didn’t want to keep this stupid date going any longer than it had to and you hoped that Aiden was bored enough at the party that he would be willing to bail too. 

“Our agreement was that-”

“Our agreement was that I come to this dumb party with you and, oh look…here I am.” You said, trying to step away from him. 

“Fine, leave. I’ll just be in the kitchen, making a phone call.” Aiden replied, walking his way back to the stairs. 

“Are you kidding me right now? I came here with you just like you asked.” You complained, following him. 

“Yeah…and we agreed that you were gonna go somewhere a little special with me afterward.” 

“You’re fucking delusional Aiden, there’s no way in hell I’m going anywhere with you!” You knew what you had agreed to when you said you would go to this stupid party with him but there was no way that you were going anywhere with him. 

When he reached for your arm you yanked it back, stumbling a little and bumping into the hallway table. You backed away from him, right into Shane as he rounded the corner into the hallway. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, hands going to your upper arms as he looked over at Aiden. 

“None of your business,” Aiden replied, not bothering to look at him. 

“I told Aiden I’m not leaving, obviously he doesn’t know what the word no means.” 

Shane looked over at you before turning his attention back to Aiden, “think it’s time for you to go.” When Aiden didn’t move Shane grabbed his arm. 

“Don’t fucking touch me man!” He shouted, pulling away from Shane the same way you had pulled away from him a moment ago. He shoved the other boy back though, almost knocking him into you. 

“The fuck is wrong with you?” Shane shoved back and you moved toward the kitchen as Aiden swung at your ex. 

The commotion caught the attention of the other people in the kitchen, Maggie and Glenn being among those that spilled into the hall to watch as Shane knocked Aiden into the wall, threatening him this time. Aiden seemed unfazed as he pushed back, trying again to punch Shane as the two slammed into the stair railing. 

You weren’t sure who it was but just as Shane tackled Aiden to the floor of the living room you could hear cop cars outside, sirens blaring in the late night and most of the kids making a break for the door. You ran with Maggie to the side door, down the porch steps, stopping short at the sight of Michonne in front of you. 

Michonne had been less than thrilled with her first official week of work as a deputy. So far the week had consisted of driving around King County, trying not to fall asleep behind the wheel while she pretended like anyone at all was out late and could possibly commit a crime. She assumed the week was going to round out that same way as she filled up on gas at the 7-11 but the call that came through the radio suggested otherwise.

A fight at the Walsh house apparently. None of the kids that were still there would cop to calling though everyone was sure it was Jacqui, hiding out in her house and spying on the party, who had called. It didn’t matter to Michonne, all she knew as she rounded the corner of the house and came face to face with you and Maggie, was that she knew you. Or at least knew your picture.

“Daryl’s girlfriend?” She said, perplexed at the sight of you. 

Maggie laughed, looking over to you as your eyes widened, “I’m not his girlfriend.” 

“Either way, both of you, with me.” She led you around the side of the house and you caught sight of Shane and Aiden being loaded into separate cars as Rick walked into the house, making sure it was empty. 

“I can’t believe you got us arrested,” Maggie whispered as she got in the back of the car with you.

“I don’t think ‘arrested’ is what’s happening right now Mags.” You rolled your eyes as you slumped against the seat. Your mom was at work and you could only imagine the absolute hell she would give you if she found out that you had been caught at a party where a fight broke out. Even more so, that you had caused the fight. “I don’t feel good,” you mentioned as Michonne got in the front seat.

“Nice try,” she replied, backing out of the driveway and heading toward the police station. “You girls know either of the boys fighting?” 

“Aren’t I not allowed to talk until my parents are present?” Maggie asked, leaning forward a little. 

“Seriously Maggie?” You groaned, “Shane Walsh and Aiden Monroe.” 

“Like-”

“Yeah Mayor Monroe.” You replied, cutting Michonne off, “it’s why he’s such a fucking dick all the time.” 

“Says you, you came with him.” Maggie replied, looking back at you, “why’d you come with him if he’s such a dick?”

“Dunno.” 

Michonne pulled into the parking lot of the police station and opened the back door for both of you to file out. She led you both inside, sitting you down in the waiting area, saying she was going to call Reverend Greene to pick up Maggie and she’d be back for some questions. You sat in the chair next to Maggie, watching as a few other people came in, knee bobbing anxiously as you looked for a familiar face. 

“Rick!” You called when he walked through the doors with his riding partner. He looked over at you and waved, enough of a hello that you got up and walked over, ignoring Maggie calling you. 

“Who picked you up?” 

“Michonne,” you said, “can I talk to you about something.” 

“You gonna ask me not to call your mom. You know procedure.” 

“Yeah but maybe this once you could not tell anybody.” You replied, “please? It was a misunderstanding anyway.” 

“I don’t care, your mom’s gotta be notified. I’ll call her up and tell her I’m driving you home okay?” He said, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“Yeah alright.”

“Hey, one more thing,” he said, keeping you in place so you couldn’t walk back to Maggie right away. “Stay away from Daryl.”

“Weird advice,” you commented, crossing your arms, “heard you were friends.”

“He’s a good guy but there’s a lot there you’re not seeing okay? Things aren’t all parties and hanging out with friends for him…your from two different worlds.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Look, you’re mom and dad work too hard for their kid to go off the tracks okay? I’m just looking out for you. You’ve got good parents, church going parents, you got a whole future ahead of you. Daryl doesn’t have any of that.”

“Yeah okay.” You shrugged.

“I’m gonna go give your mom a call, hang tight.” 

You went back to your seat beside Maggie, stretching out across both chairs when Reverend Greene came to get her and they left, him quoting the bible already as he lectured her about her actions. You had given your statement to Michonne, that Aiden was being a creep to you and you wanted to leave. 

“Why’d you go with him?” 

“He was gonna tell my mom that I’ve been hanging at Daryl’s…he probably will now.” You had explained, “he was an ass and I told him I wanted to leave and he basically told me he expected sex. I’m not like that.”

“Okay, so Shane and him got in a fight?” 

“Shane was trying to ‘defend me’ or some shit. I don’t know. I’m over that, I told Aiden I don’t care about Shane anymore but I don’t wanna get Daryl in trouble either so I went.” 

“Any reason he’d get in trouble?”

“No! We aren’t dating! And we definitely aren’t sleeping together. We just hang out, ya know, I like him a lot.” You replied. 

“Alright, I’m just making sure. I don’t want you to be in any trouble.” 

“How many more questions are there?” 

When your mom got there she was still dressed in her work clothes and she took the opportunity to apologize profusely to Rick as if he’d done anything special or been put out in some way by your presence. She ignored Michonne, even when Rick introduced her as the officer that picked you up. Your mom said nothing to you either, walking right passed you out the door. You grabbed your shoes off the floor and followed her out to her car. The ride home was silent, not even the drone of the radio offered any solace to your nerves as the silence wore on. 

The engine cut and you reached for the door handle when she smacked you, the back of her hand colliding with your cheek, her wedding ring cutting the skin as you jumped away in surprise, hitting your head on the window. 

“You fucking slut! How embarrassing that I had to come pick you up from the police station! Just cause you had to go out to some party. Where you drinking?”

“No,” you lied, shifting away from her. 

“No? Please I’m sure you were. Who’d you go with?”

“Aiden, I told you that before!”

She grabbed your hair, pulling you closer to her in the small front seat of her sedan, “who did you go with? I know you’ve been sneaking around with someone, just can’t keep your legs shut.” 

“No, mom, I swear, it was just Aiden. Maggie was there too. Reverend Greene even-” you got cut off as she shoved you back against the door, slapping you again. 

“Don’t lie to me!” She shouted, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white, “get inside and don’t you dare leave that room until I tell you too.”

You nodded, scrambling to open the door and rushing up the steps into the house, clutching your shoes as you took the steps nearly two at a time. Your heart was pounding and you knew that you were bleeding on your shirt as you entered your room, closing the door. You checked the mirror across from you as you stood with your back against the door, trying not to cry. 

The front door opened, closed, then locked and you listened to your mom stop in the living room, the squeaking of the couch cushions letting you know that she wasn’t coming right up to bed. You changed quickly into your pajamas, climbing into bed and not bothering to clean off your cheek as you pressed your hand against the cut.


	11. Chapter11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tara shares a secret with Daryl.

“My baby! Look at her.” You cheered, standing in the parking lot of Dale’s autobody as Daryl drove the Jeep up and parked beside you. He had told you to come by after work to collect the Jeep at the shop, thinking it’d be better that way then you showing up at his house. “Thank you.”

“Just doing my job.” He shrugged, handing the keys over to you. “Another tussle with the cat?” He asked, catching sight of the cut on your cheek. Without thinking he reached up and brushed his hand across the cut and you flinched a little. 

You smiled though, when you met his eyes, “yeah, can’t resist ‘em.” 

“Thought maybe ya were getting into it at the diner, heard ya got arrested,” he teased. 

“I wasn’t arrested! Who told you I was arrested?” 

“Calm yerself down. Michonne said she picked ya up Friday night with Maggie Greene.” He replied. Michonne had given him an earful about it on Saturday morning when she’d seen him in the parking lot of the gas station. 

“I was at Shane’s party, there was a fight.” You replied, “but I wasn’t arrested.” You wondered if Michonne told Daryl that she called you his girlfriend and whether or not that bothered him. If he corrected her everytime or if he didn’t say one way or another. “Anyway, I went cause Aiden told me he’d tell my mom we’ve been hanging out if I didn’t. I didn’t want you to get in trouble,” you admitted.

With both of the boys only in holding over night to ‘cool off’ as the sheriff called it, you were sure that Aiden had convinced his mom to tell yours about all the time you were spending with Daryl. You’d spent all last night laying in bed freaking out over the thought of Daryl getting in trouble because you were stupid enough to not just go talk to Deanna in the moment. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, ya shouldn’t be spending time hanging around me anyway.” He mused, leaning against the side of your jeep. “Don’t matter anyway, going hunting for a few days…sure they’ll forget about whatever gossip they got running out their mouths by then.”

“When are you going?”

“Leavin’ in the morning why?” He asked. 

“How long you gonna be gone?”

“Why?” Daryl asked again, “ya want me ta print ya an itinerary or something?” 

“No. I’m just asking.” You frowned, hoping it looked like a glare but positive it looked much more like a pout. The thought of Daryl leaving, even for a weekend, was all kinds of awful. It was already going to be weird not going to his house three times a week to watch him work on the car and you were afraid that he would stop wanting you around now that the car was fixed. Going hunting felt like the final thing before he told you to stop bothering him for good. “You still gonna teach me car stuff when you come back?”

“Told ya I would.” He said. When Tiny called his name from the back of the shop, Daryl stood up, wiping imaginary dirt off his hands. “I gotta get back ta work, ya stay outta prison til I’m back, ya hear.”

“I wasn’t arrested!” You stressed, 

“Course ya weren’t.” He hesitated for a moment, hands in the pockets of his coveralls as he stood there, waiting to say whatever was on his mind. “I’ll only be a few days, I see ya after. Teach ya how to drive.”

“I know how to drive!” You laughed, “you told me I was good driver.”

“When was that?” 

“Daryl!” 

He grinned, brushing his hair back with his hand before shaking it out. “I’ll be seeing ya alright?”

“I’ll see you when you get back.” You nodded, finally opening the door to your jeep as Daryl headed back into the auto shop to help Tiny. You waved to Axel as you peeled out, not headed far though, you had a shift at the diner to get back to. 

You hadn’t mentioned it to Daryl then though you had been planning to. It was your birthday soon. About two weeks and you’d be eighteen. It wouldn’t matter what Deanna told your mom or what Aiden said and maybe, Michonne’s teasing wouldn’t have to be just teasing. It was all wishful thinking though. There was still the unavoidable possibility that he didn’t like you at all and that when you told him how you felt he wouldn’t reciprocate. Maggie told you that you were crazy to even think that way, Daryl was obviously into you, according to her. 

You’d spent enough time with him though, you knew he wouldn’t come around easy. But that was okay, you were pretty willing to stick it out even if all you ever got was a glimpse of a smile. 

-

The diner was packed when you got there, almost unusually so for a Thursday night but you recognized the two girls sitting at the counter the moment you walked through the front door. You waved while you ducked in the back to drop your things and clock in, fixing the apron around your dress and coming back out the double doors behind the counter. 

“What are you guys doing here?” You asked, stopping in front of Maggie and Tara before you waited on anyone else. 

Maggie only came by the diner if she was driving you home and lately she hadn’t. Tara came even more infrequently so you knew they had to want something if they were sitting there, especially at the beginning of your shift.

“Wanted to get dinner, saw you across the street with your boyfriend.” Tara teased. 

“Shut up.”

“You tell him that you’re gonna be eighteen soon.” She questioned. “You guys can-”

“Tara! Shut up!” You smacked the back of her hand with the pad of paper in your hand, “my God.”

“We came over because we were talking party ideas and wanted to know what you wanted for your birthday?” Maggie cut in, bringing the conversation back to something more appropriate for a diner full of families.

“After the other night…no party. Just us, Glenn…maybe Eugene? No one else, please.” You laughed. 

“You know what would be more fun than a party?” Lori commented, stopping behind you. 

You twisted around, looking at your co-worker, “waiting on tables?” You replied. She was always on your case, it was no surprise that she would’ve been ease-dropping on the conversation. 

“Especially since you aren’t being paid to stand here chitchatting with your friends.” She retorted. 

“I’m going, I’m going,” you muttered, “discuss without me…no party.” You insisted, walking around the counter to go wait on the tables in your section.

Tara spun in her stool, watching you chat up tables of families. “Watch her, I’ll be right back.” She instructed, hopping off the stool. Maggie was about to ask where she was headed but Tara was already across the diner, the bell on the door clattering behind her as she left. Through the picture windows Maggie could see her cut across the street to the garage. You would kill them if you found out, surely. 

-

Tara walked up the small parking lot to the garage. She’d been there once to drop you off but had never been inside. She’d only seen Daryl a handful of times and only talked to him once. Not exactly the basis for inviting him to come to a birthday dinner for you that she couldn’t even imagine him agreeing too. 

“Can I help you?” T-Dog called, spying the girl walking into the open garage a little less confident now that she was through the door. 

“Is Daryl here?” 

“D! You got a visitor.” T-Dog shouted, looking back at Tara skeptically before walking off to go back to work. 

Daryl appeared on the other side of a four-door sedan, eyes narrowing when he realized the visitor was not you. Tara smiled a little too apprehensively, walking over to him and waving. “Hey, I’m Tara…I’m friends with-”

“Yeah, I recognize ya,” Daryl replied, leaning against the car. “What’re ya doing here?”

“Well…you might not know but she’s turning eighteen in two weeks and we were planning on having a party for her, nothing special but…” Tara shrugged, “I wanted to invite you.”

“I’m busy.” 

“In two weeks? I didn’t even tell you the date.” She pointed out. 

“Yeah and? She didn’t tell me herself, ain’t something she wants me ta know.” He replied. It seemed logical enough for him. You hadn’t mentioned your birthday to him at all. Maybe the party was a surprise but you hadn’t even brought up the exact date so why would you want him at a party with your friends? 

“I think she’s probably just nervous, you know?” Tara tried to argue. Considering how much you talked about Daryl on a daily basis she wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t mention anything to him out of sheer anxiety. You were eighteen…the implications were there. 

“What for?”

“Well,” Tara paused, was he joking? “She’s eighteen…you guys could like…date.”

Daryl brought his hand up, chewing at the tip of his thumb, cheeks going red at the word. He’d thought about it. Hell, he thought about it all the time. At Thanksgiving, in the parking lot on Christmas Eve, at the stupid winter fest, in his truck while you were driving to Woodbury, anytime he looked over at you while he was working on the car. What he wouldn’t give to have that, to kiss you whenever he wanted, to be close to you, but that kind of happiness wasn’t in the cards for him. 

You were a fluke, a weird accident that happened in his timeline and once the universe righted itself you would be fixing your eye on someone who was better for you. Someone who would live up to all the standards that people in King County had. 

“I got work.” He finally said, looking back down at the car in front of him. 

“Okay. Just, think about it?” Tara requested. “She really likes you and, I know my opinion is whatever but, she deserves some happiness.” Tara turned, leaving the shop to get back to Maggie, hoping you didn’t notice her absence too much. 

“What’d ya mean?” Daryl called after her. 

Tara paused, looking back at him, “don’t tell her I told you…no one knows.” She stressed, “things aren’t exactly…her parents aren’t what everyone thinks.” 

As she headed back to the diner Daryl exhaled, kicking the tire of the sedan as that feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. The same feeling he’d pushed away earlier when he saw the scratch on your cheek. The one he’d ignored just after Christmas when you told him you tousled with a cat at the Greene’s. It was that feeling, nagging, coupled with the smallest hint of something familiar behind your eyes. 

He knew the feeling. He lived it. But you shouldn’t have to.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long to post the updates.

You almost audibly groaned when Shane walked into the diner on Monday night. Daryl has been gone all weekend and you were quickly realizing that driving yourself around just wasn’t the same. You weren’t too proud to admit that you missed him, more than someone should miss an ‘in between’ friend as Tara had called him. 

“You know, in between a friend and a boyfriend.” She had explained after coining the term. 

“I get it.”

You were sure your mom was happy, as happy as she could be with you, because you’d been essentially only at the diner and at home all weekend. You’d even been on time for church on Sunday morning, an occurrence that was lacking lately. It wasn’t only Daryl’s absence that had you falling back into that place so close to the daughter that your mother wanted. The one who was perfect enough to fix all the problems she had. Deanna had told your mom, just like Aiden said she would. She’d called her on Friday morning to tell her that she’d noticed you driving with Daryl in his truck. 

“When was this?” Your mother had asked, holding her hand up for you to stop as you were preparing to walk out the door for school. 

“I’m gonna be late.” You stressed. 

She put her hand over the receiver and looked you dead in the eye, “move out that door and I swear to god you will not go out again for a week. School be damned.”

You waited, stood there anxiously by the front door as she cast you glancing and nodded her head and ‘mmhmm’d’ at the appropriate places. Your dad was supposed to be coming home soon from the halfway house he was living in and you’d thought maybe she was talking to him but then she hung up and turned to face you. 

“You wanna tell me why Deanna just called me and told me she saw you with Daryl Dixon.” 

“Cause he was fixing my car. I told you that, remember?” You knew you said it in that way that suggested she was dumb for asking so you weren’t surprised when she smacked you across the face. It didn’t take the sting away though and you flinched away from her when she kept on. 

“You’ve done some truly stupid things before but this really tops it, you know that! Running around town like some whore!” 

And you could’ve said something else, at least that was the inner monologue you gave yourself afterward, when you were sitting in class with Maggie, swearing that you fell in the bathtub during your shower. You could’ve said something else, maybe, but you didn’t. 

“You would know! Why isn’t dad back yet? Cause he’s not better or cause you’re still fucking your boss!” 

Tara told you after school that she had wait the weekend, until she was back from her mom’s house, before you could stay. So you put yourself on best behaviour mode, faking it through a bruised jaw and other, worse injuries, that no one could see. You rolled in late to class with a slip that said you had tripped in the shower and you continued that lie until the last bell rang and you were driving to 7-11 to meet Tara, to stay far away from your mom. 

“Monday,” she promised. “I’m back from my mom’s Monday night, you can come over then.” 

“She told me ‘as long as you’re under my roof you won’t be anywhere near Daryl’. Good then, watch me get out from under your roof. She acts like it hasn’t happened before.” You replied, whispering as you stood in the back of the soda aisle, far away from Jacqui’s eavesdropping. The last thing you needed was her telling everyone what you said. 

“Does Daryl know?” Tara asked, playing dumb. 

“No.” You replied, “and I’m not gonna tell him. If he does like me he doesn’t need to think I’m messed up.” 

“You’re not messed up, your mom is a dick.” 

“Look, I can fake it for a weekend, church, no friends, work. It’ll be fine.” You promised, “and on Monday night, your house.”

“If you need it sooner, I could talk to my dad.” Tara offered. He’d let you stay plenty of times in the past. 

“No, Monday’s fine.” 

You survived the weekend the exact way you said you would. You faked the nice girl you had strived to be in middle school and for the first three years of high school. You didn’t talk back, you were quiet, nice, you went to work and to church and it was like some kind of wonderful transformation that your mother probably attributed to herself. She’d scared you straight out of your rebellious crush on Daryl and back to the girl she wanted you to be.

But Sunday came and you were counting down the hours. Just another day and you’d be at Tara’s. Hopefully a few more hours and Daryl would be back. Tonight, thankfully, your mom had left church, changed and gone to work, which left you at the diner, closing it out with Lori when Shane walked in. 

“I know you got a thing for that Dixon boy but I think you should reevaluate your eyes.” Lori commented, coming up next to you. “Shane Walsh is mighty fine.” 

“First, Daryl’s older than you,” you pointed out. He was 23, same as Rick, and Lori was 21, a little closer in age to you. “Second, you forget your pregnant?” 

“A girl can’t look?” She shrugged, walking away as you pretended to gag. 

Shane seemed oblivious to the interaction as he came up and sat at the counter. You hadn’t seen him since the party, though both Glenn and Maggie had and they claimed he had asked how you were. You weren’t surprised, Shane always did fashion himself as something of a ‘knight in shining armour’ you could only imagine the size of his ego knowing he had effectively ‘saved’ you from Aiden. 

“Hey Shane, what can I get you?” You asked, pad and pen ready, as if you thought he was actually going to order and he didn’t just come here with some ulterior motive like Aiden. 

“You, back?” Shane asked, grinning at you. 

You rolled your eyes, taking a deep breath and trying not to say anything too awful. The last thing you felt like dealing with today was Shane. “Hilarious. Order or move Shane.”

“I’m not joking.” He replied, leaning further across the counter. 

Over his shoulder Lori was shooting you a look that you were sure could translate into ‘jump on that offer’. You groaned, folding the notepad back up and slipping it into your apron. “Listen, Shane, I appreciate you standing up for me at the party and I’m sorry Aiden was a dick, I really didn’t want to be there with him-“

“Then why were you?”

“None of your business.” You snapped. 

“He trashed my house-“

“You both trashed your house! Don’t bitch at me because you got in a fight I didn’t ask you to get involved in.” You said, cutting him off. 

“So first it’s thanks so much and then it’s I don’t need you?”

“Yeah Shane,” you continued, “I was trying to be fucking nice to you but you’re being a dick. I’m sorry I don’t have feelings for you anymore but I can’t change that.” 

“You don’t mean that.” He said, keeping his voice low. He stood up and followed you down the counter as you tried to get back to work. As you lifted the gate on the counter he grabbed the other side, stopping you from going any further. “You got your head mixed up with that loser Dixon.” 

Your jaw tensed as you glared at him, “watch your mouth.” You let go of the gate, shoving passed him to get to your waiting tables. 

The resulting noise of the gate felt like it left an echo when Shane let go as well, turning and grabbing your arm. “Just talk to me, please!”

“I said no!” You snapped, pulling your arm away, “leave me alone Shane, I said no. I don’t want anything to do with you.” 

“Shane,” Otis’ voice caught both your attentions and you looked behind the counter to the window that offered a limited view of the kitchen. Otis was standing there, dish on the ledge, staring down Shane Walsh like he could fire bullets with his eyes. You’d known Otis your whole life and there wasn’t a person alive that ever had a bad word to say about him. He was a sweetheart, burly on the outside but teddy soft on the inside. He’d watched you hold your own with Shane in the past, and with Aiden. He watched you flirt with Daryl and told you more than a few times that you had that boy wrapped around your finger whether you thought so or not. And he watched Shane put his hand on you, “Think you should leave.” 

“We were just talking.” Shane replied, looking back at you like there was any chance in the world that you would defend him. 

“Yeah, and now you’re done.” Otis said. 

No further conversation was had. Shane nodded and left, Lori shooting him a sympathetic smile as he passed by her. You wanted to tell her to have at him, you could do without him hanging around. It was good Daryl was away for the weekend cause you were itching to go to his house as you stood outside the diner with Lori while she locked up. 

“You really over Shane?” She asked, as if she gave two shits about your life.

“Why?”

“Just wondering. He seems pretty passionate about you.”

“Passionate? Try aggressive.” You countered. He’d always been that way and you thought maybe there had been a time when you substituted who he was for who you wanted him to be but you liked to think you were a little smarter this time around. 

“What about Dixon?”

“Why are you asking me all these questions Lor?” You asked. You wanted nothing more than to get in your car and go home. 

“Just wondering, I get bored at the apartment, only one there to talk to is Rick and he’s on nights this week.” She replied. He was around whenever she had doctor’s appointments or if she needed something for the baby. She was more than positive that when the little Grimes was born he would be the best dad in King County but he seemingly less interested in being the best fiancé. 

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, answering her question finally, “Daryl and I aren’t dating though so it doesn’t matter.” 

“Think he’s waiting til you turn 18.” She asked.

“No, just don’t think he’s interested in dating me is all.” 

You’d given Daryl a lot of thought since you’d started spending time with him. There were times you thought maybe he liked you. Moments when it seemed plausible that there was something but it always felt like it was right before. This build up between the two of you with nothing to show for it in the end. 

“You have dated before right?”

“Obviously.” You replied, hand on the door of your car. If she would just get in and pull away , you could too. 

“Just checking.” She laughed, finally granting your wish and getting in the car. 

You peeled out after her, driving away from your street and pulling into the parking lot of the Shop’n’Bag. You parked as close as you could for a late night, your Jeep illuminated by the overhead light. The grocery store was practically dead at 10p as you grabbed a basket and walked around aimlessly. Hungry was not the way to shop but your mom was being a bitch and refusing to buy you groceries, going so far as to label the items in the refrigerator that she deemed hers. 

The freezer aisle, flickering from one of the ceiling lights, seemed to be your lucky spot. It wrapped the wall in the far left, two large cases running almost from wall to wall in the middle and a familiar frame leaning over one of them, cart full of other quick meals and beer beside him. 

“Hey stranger.” You greeted, stepping up next to him and leaning against the case. 

Daryl straightened, the faintest of smiles coming and going as he looked over at you, “ya ain’t stalking me are ya?” 

“No, I just finished at the diner, I’m starving.” 

“Ya know they make food there.” He replied, tossing a pack of steaks in the cart and moving along, you falling into step next to him. 

“I wasn’t hungry while I was there.” When he stopped again you pulled the three packs of stovetop mac and cheese out of your otherwise empty basket and dropped them in his cart before leaving your basket under the case. 

“I ain’t buying yer food.” He said, glancing over his shoulder at you. His eyes landed on the barely visible bruise that was still on your cheek, Tara’s words clear as day in his mind. “What happened?” He asked, hand brushing his own jaw in the same place. 

“Fell in the shower.” 

“Least it ain’t those cats this time.” He replied. 

“When did you get back?” You asked, following him down the aisle. 

“Like ten minutes ago, however long I been in here.” He said, pausing to throw something in his cart, “why?”

You shrugged, “it was boring this weekend, I missed you.” 

“Musta been real boring then.” He joked, turning his face away so you couldn’t see his cheeks going red. “Ya ain’t start any fights this weekend?”

“It wasn’t my fault,” you stressed. “Deanna called my mom though, told her she saw us driving in your truck.” 

“Told ya that ya shouldn’t be hanging around me.” Daryl replied, leaning against the handle of the cart. He watched you look through jars of red gravy until you found the one you wanted, sticking it in the cart. “I ain’t buying your food,” he repeated.

“I’ll pay for it,” you insisted, gripping the other end of the cart and smiling at him. “So, how was hunting?”

“A’ight. Got a deer in the bed a my truck.” 

You stuck your tongue out in disgust, “Glad my jeep’s fixed then.” You walked with Daryl through the rest of the store until he finally decided he was finished grocery shopping and turned his cart toward the check out, only one lane open this time of the night. When you tried to put the divider down between your order and his, Daryl put it back. “Thought you weren’t paying for me?”

“Ain’t a lot a stuff.” He shrugged, “bag it yerself though.”

“What a gentleman.” You laughed; scooting passed him so you could start bagging the groceries as the guy at the checkout put them through. 

Tara had told you enough times already that you should invite Daryl to your birthday, or just tell him that you like him and want to date him. You’d thought about both options plenty, positive that they were the only things on your mind these days. But actually, mentioning those things to him were a whole other story. 

“So, I turn 18 soon.” You mentioned as you walked out to your jeep with him. His truck was parked a few spaces down, blue tarp over the bed highlighted by a parking light. “Tara and Maggie are having a party for me.” 

“Ys sure that’s a good idea?” He joked, putting your groceries in the back for you. 

“Stop! No one’s ever gonna let me live that down.” You groaned. 

“Ya gonna invite me to yer party then?” 

You perked up a little, smiling, “well, yeah. And I was thinking too, you know, I’ll be 18.” You repeated at the end. 

“I heard ya.”

“I’ll be legal.” You clarified, as if he couldn’t catch on without you spelling it out for him. 

Daryl sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking at you a little more tired than before. “This ain’t a good idea, ya know,” he said, waving his hand between the two of you, “I ain’t got a lot going on right in my life. Ya shouldn’t be dragged into that.” 

“I’m not being dragged into anything,” you replied, “I really like you, I think I’ve been pretty obvious about it and if not then I’m telling you now. I like you and I’ll be 18 and I think-”

He stopped you by holding his hand up, “it ain’t gonna happen.” 

“Daryl-”

“I gotta get home,” he cut you off, stepping away from your car, “goodnight.”

“Yeah, goodnight.” You sighed, watching him walk away to his car.


	13. Chapter 13

“Not who I expected to see waiting outside the pharmacy for me but, I’ll take it.” Tara called out as she walked across the small parking lot to her car. Parked right next to her four-door was Daryl’s truck and he was standing there waiting, leaning against the tailgate. 

“I haven’t heard from her in a couple days, just wanted to be sure she’s alright.” Daryl replied. 

“You mean after you told her you didn’t want to date her?” Tara asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Ain’t that simple.” 

Tara groaned, already exhausted with both of you. “It is that simple, she really likes you and come on, I know you like her. You fucking stopped at the drug store to talk to me because you’re concerned about her. That’s pretty solid proof that you like her too.” 

Daryl looked away, scuffing his foot on the ground and taking his pack of cigarettes out to smoke, he needed something distract himself. 

“Can I have one?” Tara asked, already holding out her hand for one of his cigarettes. Her sister would probably kill her if she knew but Tara smoked occasionally, more recreational than anything else. “She’s staying at my house in Woodbury. Her dad’s supposed to be home soon, think she’s just waiting it out away from her mom.” 

“He any better?” Daryl asked lighting his and then holding the lighter for her cigarette. You’d be bitching about the smell no doubt, or pretending it didn’t bother you. 

“Not really,” Tara shrugged, “he doesn’t hit her or anything but he’s pretty dependent on her mom. I mean, the guy’s been in and out of rehab for years now, he can barely hold a steady job. Last time he was in the hospital he was on suicide watch cause he’s so miserable. Why are you asking me all this anyway? Why not ask Maggie?”

“Some friends ya don’t tell everything to.” He replied. “Ya let me know how she’s doing?” 

“Go to the diner and make up and see her yourself.”

“I already told her, she’s got enough shit going on, don’t need me adding to it.” Daryl replied. 

“Before you go,” Tara stopped him as he started to walk around to the driver’s side of the truck. “Just tell me, do you like her? Would you date her?”

He nodded, slowly. Not like he was unsure, just like he was trying to censor his answer. He settled on “yeah” because anything else would have been too much to tell kid. He would date you, hell, he was pretty sure that he would marry you if he was given the chance. He’d never thought much about liking anyone before. Daryl had seen Merle with different women his whole life but he’d never really bothered appreciating any of his own. People just came and went and he figured that was exactly how life would always be. And now there was you and he wouldn’t mind setting up a future, he’d already laid one out in his head. A nice one, like all the upstanding people in King County, the ones who whispered about him, had. There’d be a house, or a farm like Hershel’s, and kids if you wanted them though he’d never thought of himself as needing to bring any children into the world. It’d be nice though and you’d both be happy. 

“Don’t tell her I stopped by?” Daryl asked. 

“I won’t.” Tara replied, “think about it though? Cause she was happy with you and she was standing up for herself and she never used to. I don’t want her to lose that.” 

Daryl shut the door on the truck and Tara backed away as he started the engine, reversing and then peeling out of the parking lot. She took another drag of the cigarette and dropped it on the ground, smashing it into the white line with her shoe. 

You were working at the diner that afternoon and when you saw Daryl’s truck pull into Dale’s Autobody across the street you considered taking a ten minute break just to go talk to him. If you could figure out what was going on between the two of you, or even just apologize for what you said in the grocery store. You would’ve killed for a time machine that night, imagining the possibility of rewinding yourself back to the moment before you told him, of being able to pretend you didn’t feel the way you were feeling. 

If you could’ve done it over again you wouldn’t have said anything. Kept quiet until, and you hoped there was a possibility, he liked you so much that he couldn’t possibly reject you. And yet, you knew it was pointless to think that way. Standing in the parking lot with him, you had known that the only thing you wanted in that moment was him. 

-

Maggie sat on the top rung of the wooden fence with you, lanterns set out to illuminate the make shift camp site that she and Tara had put together for your birthday. Glenn had come once it was dark enough that no one from the house would realize that he was there. You were usually wired, especially considering the amount of alcohol that Glenn and Tara had both brought with them. You had half a bottle of wine left, holding the nose in your hand as you sat there with Maggie, silently staring ahead to the porch light that looked more like a lightening bug at this distance.

“Glenn’s been talking about college,” Maggie finally said. Tara and Glenn had both punched out early but you and Maggie couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Or maybe she was just sitting up with you to be nice. “It’ll be nice to get away from all this. Have you talked about it with your parents?”

“My mom says the college fund is,” you sliced your hand across the air, “gone. Guess it’s waiting tables for me.”

“Woodbury has a college, maybe you could go there?”

“It’s not Emory…” you replied. “I don’t know any more honestly. I just wanted to go to college cause I wanted to get out of here. Guess I still do.” 

You had thousands of dreams of college as a kid. Getting out of King County and never coming back. You could be one of those kids who moves to the city without leaving a forwarding address, who disappears from the average existence of small-town life. Breaking whatever mold, you had been born into. It always seemed like it would be you, Maggie had the farm and she complained about the church but you knew she loved it. But now she was talking about life outside of King County and it seemed insane to you that you would be the only one contemplating all the things in your life that you thought about changing. Maybe some of them could stay the same. 

“I told Daryl I liked him.” You said, “told him I was gonna be 18, we could date.”

“What’d he say?” Maggie asked, reaching for the wine bottle to take a sip.

“Same thing he’s been saying, that I shouldn’t ‘get dragged into his life’.” 

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.” Maggie sounded too hopeful for her own good. And why shouldn’t she? Even if she thought about leaving King County everything about her screamed small town. The high school sweetheart, the southern twang, the pastor’s daughter dichotomy. She hit all the marks. 

“Means he doesn’t want to.” You replied, taking the wine back.

“Well take it however you want but, maybe it’s a sign? You been getting too close to something dangerous. I love you and you know that but you were spending all your time with him, not going to church, not doing stuff with me or Glenn or going to youth group. Maybe it’s a good wake up call. Your mama wouldn’t want you tossing it all away for a boy. Especially not Daryl.” Maggie stated. 

You knew somewhere along the way you had given up trying to keep up appearances. You weren’t the sweet kid who had sat all through Thanksgiving and then snuck out at the end, something had changed and you had stopped caring if people knew who you were hanging out with. Deanna had only seen you because you’d gotten too reckless. 

“Guess so.” You said, hopping down off the fence. You had never told Maggie about your mom and you certainly couldn’t now. You weren’t even sure that she would believe you. 

“What?” 

“What?” You asked, eyes meeting hers in the dark. 

“You got that look, like you did before you dragged me to Dale’s.” Maggie said, watching the slow smile on your face as you bit your lip. 

“Just thinking.”

She was right though, and you knew it. Even as you climbed into the tent you were sharing with Tara, laying on your back as if you could see the stars through the vinyl, your head was swirling with any sort of idea you could grasp at. Maggie could say whatever about you and what you cared about but at the end of it you knew what you wanted. Her pep talk wasn’t going to deter you. 

-

In the morning you stopped at Dale’s, church bells ringing as you got out of your jeep. You were supposed to be meeting your mom for service but you had pit stopped here. Axel was out front working on a car and he waved when he saw you. Daryl wasn’t overly forthcoming with information about his life so it didn’t surprise you that he would’ve neglected to tell anyone about the night at the grocery store. 

He was in the back, maybe just finished with something cause he was wiping his hands on a rag from the back pocket of his coveralls and you weren’t quite ready for the ache in your chest at the sight of him. Your heals on the concrete weren’t quiet and Daryl looked over when he heard them, jaw tensing. 

“What’re ya doing here?” He asked. 

“I thought about what you said.” You replied, a little less confident than you had felt when you stepped out of your car. “And I’ve come to a decision.”

“Am I supposed ta ask what that is?” 

“Yes.” You moved closer, he wasn’t running but he looked a little reminiscent of a caged animal.

“I got work.” 

“Wait, just hear me out,” you begged. He started to say something, no doubt telling you to leave, but you stopped him, forging ahead. “I know I told you that I liked you when we were at the grocery store but it’s more than that. I love you. And I think you love me too. I’ve been thinking about leaving King County and getting away from my mom for a long time and lately I been thinking I don’t care. There’s still some things I want, ya know, but I can get ‘em right here and mostly, I just want to spend time with you.”

There was a lot Daryl wanted to tell you, that you were right. He did love you. “Ya don’t know what yer saying.”

“I do.”

“No,” Daryl snapped. “Ya don’t! There ain’t a future here for ya. Yer wasting yer time and one day, you’ll wake up and yer gonna realize that’s all ya been doing, wasting time, and yer gonna want out. Save yerself the trouble and just go.” 

“I’m not wasting my time.” You insisted. 

“I got work.” 

“No, Daryl,” you grabbed his arm, stopping him from turning and leaving. 

“I told ya before, I’ll say it again, there ain’t nothing here for ya.” He replied, pulling away from you. 

“Fine then tell me I’m wrong.” You said, “tell me you don’t love me and I’ve just been imagining it.”

“I got work.” He repeated, brushing passed you. 

You knew what you should’ve been feeling. Depressed, angry, absolutely gutted. All of those fit the bill but you couldn’t make yourself feel any of those. As you climbed back in your jeep, pulling out of the parking lot, all you could feel was the smallest, fleeting, sense of hope. He hadn’t said that he didn’t love you. Nothing he said suggested that he didn’t feel the same way. You’d been thinking that he just didn’t like you back but it wasn’t that at all. He was just afraid. 

You knew how you felt. And now, you knew how he felt too.


	14. Chapter 14

You were home. You had driven home from Tara’s on Sunday, early so that you could go to pick up your dad. He was silent the whole way home and said little more when he got in the house, shutting himself in the garage. He didn’t come in again until your mom got home, annoyed from work and from your dad’s presence in the house. It took less time for them to get into it with each other than it did for dinner to be finished and you knew, as you snuck out your window, that your dad would be back on the bottle before the night was over. 

Leaving the jeep in the driveway, you headed down the street and cut through the catwalks, only half considering where you were walking. You hadn’t been home a day and already you felt like you were losing your mind. Maybe it was stress, all the minute components of life piling up on you, making you feel like you were seconds from probably losing your mind and the one thing that had been keeping you sane through all the other crap was suddenly gone, vacant from your life. 

You stopped at the familiar house, almost knocking on the side door but you noticed a light on in the camper and you went to it. The light flickered for a second as footsteps sounded, just a few to get to the door and it was opening, the spring creaking as you stood there off the step, Daryl standing in front of you. 

“Ya don’t give up, do ya?”

“Sorry, it’s just…a shitty night at my house. I just wanted to go somewhere I’d feel better, figured here was the best place.” You replied. 

Daryl stepped back, holding the door wide open for you to step up into the camper. It was small inside but cozier than you expected. You stood there for a moment, a little awkward, feeling like it was the first time you were around him again. And maybe that was because of what you’d said. You couldn’t erase telling him that you liked him, and you certainly couldn’t make him forget either. 

“Ya alright?” Daryl asked, handing you a bottle of water and sitting back down at the table. You sat on the bench across from him. 

“I picked my dad up this morning.” You replied, “he’s been in rehab.” 

“So ya came here?” 

“I didn’t want my mom to see I was gone so I walked.” You said, unscrewing the water bottle and taking a sip, it occurred to you only once the water hit your throat how thirsty you were. “I can’t go to Tara’s, she’s in Woodbury, and I can’t go to Maggie’s cause I’d have to tell her.” 

“Shouldn’t be too hard for her, the Reverend was a heavy hitter back in the day.” Daryl replied, continuing to eat his dinner, seemingly unfazed. He’d never show you if he was though. 

“What?”

“Ya ain’t heard about it?”

You shook your head, Maggie had never said anything to you about her father having a drinking problem. 

“He quit the bottle when Maggie’s mom got sick. I remember, musta been nine years old at the time, my mama dragged me to church and he gave this long sermon about sinning and asking for god’s forgiveness. Load a bullshit if I ever heard it, but he changed himself around.” Daryl replied. 

“How’d you know the sermon was about him?” You asked, your mind swimming with information. You’d known Hershel all your life, at times when you were feeling lost he always felt like a second father to you. 

“Used to drink down at The Wharf with my dad. Told him I was gonna tell somebody about him once when I was real angry and he just said ‘you go tell Reverend Greene or the sheriff, I see ‘em every night’. My dad ain’t big on socialising and he only goes one place.” Daryl said, “it was a poorly kept secret but then he sobered up and everybody swept it under the rug for him.” 

“I had no idea.” 

“Didn’t mean ta ruin the Reverend for ya…just meant, he’ll be understanding, if nothing else.” 

“My mom would lose it if I told anyone that my dad’s an alcoholic. I mean, it’s just you and Tara that know, everyone else just thinks he works a lot or if they don’t think that they just don’t ask.” You admitted. You could practically imagine the hellfire your mom would bring down on you if you told everybody that your dad was a drunk. 

“What about yer mom?” Daryl asked, getting up from the table and going to wash his dishes. 

You watched him for a moment, thinking this was what you had been missing for those few weeks apart. This was the thing you craved the most from him. To just be able to sit and chat with him, listen to him talk, edging away at his reservations until he was talking to you about anything. You wanted to tell him you missed him, you missed this. That you loved him and that probably you always would but you kept your mouth shut, knowing that you had to take what you could get if you wanted anything at all with him. 

“What’d you mean?” You asked. 

“Til she died, my mom always stuck it out. Knew no one else was gonna deal with her. She was angry and she could mean when she wanted and she damn near hated my brother, ruined her life the way she saw it. So she knew nobody was gonna want that…she stuck it out til she died.” Daryl replied, “if your dad’s the problem, why doesn’t yer mom leave him?”

“I think it’s the other way around.” You admitted, “my dad drinks so he doesn’t have to be there with her but he doesn’t have to leave either.” Sometimes you thought he might be trying for a slow death, trying to drink himself out of the life he’d been saddled with. 

“Yer mom that bad?” 

“She can be.” You replied, “what about your dad, I don’t really see him that much, only the one time he thought I was a prostitute.” 

Daryl scoffed, that nearly invisible smile appearing, “we don’t bother each other too much anymore. I pay most a the bills and he leaves me alone.” 

“You should be the one in the house then,” you teased, smiling when he scrunched his nose and shook his head. 

“Nah, I’d have ta redo that whole thing top ta bottom ta wanna spend any time living it in.” Daryl replied, “ain’t the best memories.” 

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t be, ya didn’t know.” He came back over to the table, sitting down opposite from you and leaning back against the vinyl seating. “Ya want me ta drive ya somewhere?” 

“Can’t stay here?” 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Ain’t that I don’t want ya too…” he trailed off, “I don’t want ya doing something yer bound ta regret cause ya think ya feel a certain way.” 

“Why do you think I don’t?” You closed your eyes for a moment to calm yourself down before looking at Daryl, this was not going to be like the last two conversations. “I came here because we’re friends and I needed a friend. If you just want to be friends then, I can respect that. But please, I don’t want to totally lose you because of something I said.” 

Daryl nodded his head like maybe he was considering what you had said after all. “Fine, I ain’t gonna entertain ya though, I got things ta do.” 

“Like what?” You asked, glancing around the camper. It was clean and the space was small, hardly looked like he could do much. 

“I was headed down to the laundromat ‘fore ya came here. I got a bag a clothes ta wash in my truck.” 

“Good, I’ll come with you.” You replied, standing up, all ready to go.

“I didn’t miss ya pestering me ya know, least I got a break from it.” He joked and you smiled, if he was joking about it then it didn’t bother him as much as he said it did. It wasn’t a far reach for you then, to assume that maybe he did really like you and he was only saying different because he was afraid of being with you. 

“Yeah but I bet I’m way prettier than Rick,” you teased, following him out the door of the camper. 

“Don’t know, he’s got his moments.” 

-

“I’ve never been in the laundromat before,” you commented, holding the door for Daryl as he carried a hamper bag of clothing in. The laundromat was small, a little store front nestled in beside a law office and a psychic. You had suggested getting a reading, despite the late hour, and Daryl had scoffed at you. “Like, I always drive by but I’ve never been in.”

There were three vending machines besides the one that dispensed detergent. Coffee, snacks, and soda. You tried the coffee while Daryl threw his clothes in the wash. “It ain’t much.” Daryl replied. 

“That’s what you always say.” You joked, setting your coffee down on the counter and sitting up on it beside the pile of dark clothes that Daryl was sorting through to throw in the wash. 

Being here with Daryl was nice. It felt a lot like before you told him that you had feelings for him though you couldn’t deny the elephant in the room, knowing that Daryl knew you liked him, that you were in love with him, and that you knew he didn’t want to feel the same way. 

“Will you still teach me car stuff?” You asked, handing Daryl your coffee to taste. 

He took a sip, “ya always put that much cream in yer coffee?”

“To be fair, it’s powdered.” You replied. “I filled my own washer fluid the other day.” 

“And yer car didn’t blow up?” He teased.

“No.” You huffed, kicking him with your foot. “So, will you?”

“Yeah.” He replied. He wouldn’t ever admit it but seeing you at his door had felt like a weight lifting off of his chest. Not seeing you or knowing that you were okay had driven him a little crazy. Daryl had considered going to see you at the diner and talking to you but he chickened out every time, convincing himself that you were better off distancing yourself from him. But maybe he had been wrong. Or maybe he just wasn’t better off being away from you.


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl clenched his fist, trying to calm himself down as he stood at the front of your jeep with you. He had agreed to helping you with your car, had even been the one to suggest it originally, but spending the afternoon with you again, the way he used to, was a lot harder now. Knowing the way you felt for sure and knowing exactly what he felt, it was hard to stop himself from just telling you, giving in to the temptation of letting himself be with you. 

“At what point do you think we could take a break?” You asked, turning to look at Daryl, smiling at him with your best attempt at puppy dog eyes. 

“Barely even taught ya anything,” Daryl replied though he stepped away from the hood, wiping his hands on the rag from his back pocket. 

You had off from work today and a half-day at school as you prepared for spring break. Daryl had kept his word to teach you. Nearly a week of ‘car lessons’, as you had deemed them, had happened so far. Tara joined you on two occasions, picking up the knack much quicker than you were and actually getting along with Daryl, something you were grateful for. 

“I know but I’m kinda hungry,” You reasoned, “I think my mom’s trying to starve my dad out of the house.” 

“Thought she was happy he was home.” Daryl replied, watching you walk over to the picnic table in front of the camper and take a seat on it, feet stable on the bench beneath it. 

“It’s a catch-22,” you shrugged, noting the way Daryl’s eyebrow quirked when he didn’t recognize a phrase and explaining further, “she wants him home for appearances but she doesn’t want him home cause she’s seeing someone else.”

“E’rbody’ll find out anyway…what’s the difference?”

“The difference between my mom leaving my poor, working father or him abandoning his family?” You asked, pulling a face as he sat down beside you. You knocked your shoulder against his and smiled, “come on.”

He just hummed and nodded in return. It always came back around to the same thing, appearances. Your mom cared about the same thing everyone else in King County cared about, how they were perceived by their neighbors. Heaven forbid, anybody thought there was any fault to be had in your mother’s life. You had been living with the grief of that for a long time too but the more you had spent time with Daryl the less you cared what anyone else in town really thought of you. 

“You been alright?” 

“Do you always worry this much about me and you just don’t say it?” You asked, grinning at him. You’d been trying to drop hints for a week now that you still liked him and that you knew he liked you back, if only he would wise up to it and not pretend this was just some odd sort of friendship. 

He pushed himself off the picnic table, patting his jeans for the keys to his truck before holding them out to you, “come on, ain’t got any food here worth eating. Ya wanna drive ta Woodbury?”

“Me drive?” You asked skeptically, reaching for the keys from his outstretched hand. Just as you touched the keychain his pulled his hand away, a close-lipped smile on his face, “stop!” You laughed, hopping off the table and trying for the keys again.

Daryl closed his hand around them, holding tight as you grabbed his wrist, turning so you could put yourself between him and his arm, your back to his chest as you pried his fingers open. “You said I could have the keys.”

“Ya weren’t quick enough,” he nearly laughed, wrapping his other arm around your waist as if he could hold you off that way. 

Your fingers interlocked with his as you pulled the keys away, holding them above your head so he couldn’t grab them, looking back at him triumphantly. “Got ‘em.” 

He let you go, hand grazing your stomach and then pinching your hip as he stepped away from you, the faintest of pink tinged on his cheeks. Touching you was something he couldn’t resist and he’d gotten bolder about it since the first afternoon he’d spent with you but he still got embarrassed or self-conscious after the moment ended. But you ignored that moment, smiling at him as you shook the keys, showing off your win. 

“If I drive do I have to pay too?” You asked, walking to the truck. 

“Wouldn’t wanna put ya out.” He replied, pulling himself up into the passenger seat. Once you’d started the truck, he fiddled with the radio dial, turning it to something that he liked. 

“I know you never come to stuff that I invite you to but Maggie and I are having a joint graduation party, thought maybe I could extend an invitation.” You mentioned. Annette had sent out the official graduation party invitations a week prior, getting the slot for the second weekend in May before anyone else could try and claim it. “I know you hate people-”

“I don’t hate people.”

“You don’t like them.” You pointed out.

“Ain’t it.” He shrugged, “its the other way around anyway.”

“Well I’ll be there and I like you.” You said, looking over at Daryl and catching his eye for just a second before he turned away, lighting a cigarette to distract himself, “Tara’ll be there too.”

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Are you saying that cause you will think about it or because you want me to never ask you about it again so you’re humoring me?” You asked.

Daryl grinned around the cigarette in his mouth, “take your pick.”

You bit back a smile as you rolled the truck to a stop, casting your eyes down to the dash, “you’re low on gas,” you mentioned, noticing the dial lulling to the E. 

He nodded, a silent agreement that you could pull into Jacqui’s for gas. After your birthday you had stopped hanging around Daryl and it was as if everyone in town had gotten the memo about it. Patricia had even commented that she was glad you seemed to be “back on track” and whether you cared what they thought or not, when you started hanging out with Daryl again you had kept a low profile about it. This was the first time the two of you were going anywhere together during the day, when anyone could see you driving around in his truck. 

But you pulled into the gas station without a second thought, truck facing the window of the small store as you parked at a pump. “I’m not paying for this either.” 

“Yer unbelievable, ya know that.” Daryl rolled his eyes, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and handing some cash to you. “Just get $20…get me a pack of marlboro too. Jacqui’s always up my ass when I’m in there.”

“Oh yeah, cause she won’t be up mine?” You asked, taking the cash from him. You popped the door open and got out, turning back around to look at Daryl, “anything else?”

He shook his head. 

You shut the door as you stepped passed it, walking between the truck and the gas pump, heading inside the store and ignoring the car two spots down from you. All you were thinking about was the sheer relief you felt stepping inside the door and realizing that it wasn’t Jacqui behind the register. Small miracles, you thought, paying for the gas and asking for a pack of marlboro. 

“You front the bill for his drugs too?”

Your eyes practically rolled into the back of your head at the sound of Shane’s voice. You had been avoiding a majority of the people you knew from school since the fight at Shane’s house but he definitely topped the list. 

“Shut up Shane.” You mutter, grabbing the cigarettes from the cashier and turning to leave, pushing passed your ex-boyfriend. When you push the door open he follows you outside, stepping in front of you. Just over his shoulder, at the truck, Daryl looks over. He’d gotten out to pump the gas and the sight of Shane blocking your path had sparked his attention. “What?” You were still paying attention to Shane though and hadn’t noticed Daryl, “What do you want?” 

“I just wanna talk to you for a minute.” He reached for your arm and you stepped away from him. “I’m just trying to understand where you’re coming from. Hanging around that low-life? Showing up to my party with Aiden? Come on, guys like that don’t give a shit about you.”

“Wow, thank you for that amazing chat, I’ll put you down as concerned and delusional for thinking I give a shit about your opinion.” You started to step around him but he moved to block you again. “Shane…I swear to god, get the fuck away from me.” 

“I still have feelings for you.” 

“I have to go.” You pushed passed him, walking across the parking lot to Daryl’s truck, stopping just in front of him, “next time, you go inside.”

“He give ya any trouble?” Daryl asked, taking the pack of cigarettes and the receipt from you. 

“No, just being a general douche and trying to lecture me. I mean, where does he get off lecturing me?” You complained. 

Daryl hung the nozzle back up, closing the gas cap. He placed his hand on your arm as he passed you to walk around the front of the truck, placing a quick and surprising kiss to your head as he did, in full view of Shane. You grinned, sure that Daryl was turning pink from his ears to his chest because of the peck but not wanting to look at him and give Shane any more of your attention. You got in the driver’s side of the truck, finally glancing at Daryl as you pulled the car out of the parking lot. 

“You’re pettier than I thought you were.” 

“Ain’t petty,” he replied, smacking the new pack of cigarettes against the palm of his hand, “just want that Walsh kid off yer back.”

Daryl showing you any kind of affection or attention would probably have the exact opposite effect if you were honest but you certainly weren’t going to tell him that and discourage him. “I don’t like him but he can’t take a hint.” 

“Has he bothered ya before?” Daryl asked.

“Not for a few weeks,” you replied, “he came into the diner after the party but Otis told him to leave. Lori said he’s ‘passionate’ about me.”

“That ain’t passion.”

“I know.” You assured. 

Daryl looked over at you as you pulled up to a red light, “be careful if he comes around again.”

“You know, people tell me the same thing about you.” You teased and he scoffed.

“I wouldn’t ever hurt ya.” 

“I know.” 

You pulled the truck into the parking lot of the diner in Woodbury, parking in the same spot you had when you had driven there the first time. The familiar little diner was a welcomed sign in your life right now, as was Daryl. You knew the chances of him coming to your graduation were slim but you thought that resistance he had to letting himself be with you was slowly breaking, his resolve disappearing. He’d kissed the side of your head, for a split second, quicker than a blink of the eye, but he had done it and you couldn’t shake the feeling it had caused. The way all the annoyance and anger at Shane had just washed right off you when you looked at Daryl and how okay you felt when he touched your arm. 

“You should let me drive your truck more often,” you commented, handing the keys over as you walked inside with him. 

“I’ll think about it.” He replied. 

“Are you just saying that to humor me?” 

He looked back at you as the hostess grabbed two menus, the smallest of smiles crossing his face, the smugness of it making you smile back.


	16. Chapter 16

Though Maggie had been mostly occupied with keeping her and Glenn’s relationship hidden from the Reverend and Mrs. Greene, the excitement of the upcoming joint graduation party was enough to return her attention to you for a moment. There was still a lot to do before the weekend and, even though Reverend Greene had promised to take care of it, Maggie was on edge, nervous about the turn out and the decorations and whether the two of you were having your party too soon. 

“It’s the first one of the season.” She complained over fries at Patricia’s while you took your break. The four of you, Maggie and you plus Tara and Glenn, were shoved into a corner booth chatting about the party and whether everything was ready. “Daddy’s got some people from Dale’s helping string the lights and all, on account he can’t do the whole job himself. Do you have your dress?” 

“Me?” You asked, looking up from soda straw lightsaber battle you and Glenn were having, “course Maggie, I got it over the summer.” Maggie had driven you both to Woodbury, to the department store, for the sale and you had picked out the nicest dress you could find. It was summery and white and at the time you’d thought about Shane seeing you in it but now you couldn’t help thinking about what Daryl might think if he saw you. Would he like that kind of dress on you? The little eyelet closure with a string to tie it at the top.

Maggie snapped her fingers in front of your face, “we got five more minutes and you’re off dreaming, pay attention.” 

“I am.” You promised. 

-

You delivered the dress to the Greene Family Farm on Friday, exactly like Maggie told you to. She was out, supposedly running a few errands before the party but presumably with Glenn. Beth let you hang your dress in her room and chattered on with you about her own future graduation party until Annette told her that she needed help with getting dinner ready for everyone. 

“Do you wanna stay and eat, I can give your mom a call and let her know?” Annette offered as you lingered in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her roll out dough for biscuits. It would never cease to amaze you the trouble that Annette went to making dinner every night for her family. 

“No, I’m alright, I’m gonna head home.” You replied, “I’ve been working all week, be nice to have dinner altogether.” It was a lie. Your dad had already started drinking and your mom would still be at work. Most likely you’d have dinner with Tara or up in your room. 

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow.” Annette promised. 

When you stepped out on the porch you realized the tent that had only been spread out on the grass before was completely up, the entryway covered by a flap that was blowing in the wind. You walked the short way down to the tent and looked in, remembering that Maggie had mentioned Hershel hiring Dale’s guys to set up for the party. Dale’s guys meant Daryl, hopefully, though you knew some Fridays he worked in Woodbury. 

“Long time no see!” Axel called across the tent, his ladder wobbling just slightly as Tiny let go of one leg to wave at you. 

“I just saw you two this morning,” you teased, walking over to greet them. They had come in for coffee and breakfast early, before school, and you’d been in to grab your check. “I heard Reverend Greene was having you set up, you’re doing a great job.”

“Extra money in my pocket.” Tiny replied, “can’t say no to that.”

“Yer boy’s down by the old oak, stringing lights.” 

Your eagerness was probably foolish. You’d been spending time with Daryl again but that only served as an ache in your chest because you wanted him to like you the way that you had so clearly told him that you liked him. And maybe you had never believed Maggie before when she told you he was smitten with you (or whatever silly word she used) but you couldn’t help thinking that if he just got passed himself you could be something. It wasn’t a thought you should’ve been having about a friend but you couldn’t help it and the more time you spent with him the more you had the thought. But you walked down to the oak tree anyway, happy just at the prospect of seeing him. 

When you reached him you grabbed a hold of the ladder he was on and, though he didn’t look down, you had a feeling he knew you were there. A feeling that was confirmed when he gestured to a box of lights by your foot. “Hand me those.”

“Alright.” You hoisted them up and grabbed them easily, adding them to the cord already over his shoulder. “You got a lot more to do?”

“Depends, ya gonna stick around and harsh me if I say I don’t?” He asked, shooting you a look of faux annoyance when you rattled the ladder just slightly at his response. 

“No, I was gonna ask if you wanted to get dinner with me.” You replied. “I’ll even pay for it.”

“Ain’t that a treat.” Daryl replied, “thought maybe ya were only hanging around to bleed my wallet.” 

“I paid you for my car! If anything I was giving you money.”

“Yeah, then turning ‘round and spending it.” He teased. 

You couldn’t smiling when he glanced down at you, the lights catching all the perfect little angles and highlighting him just so. If you told him he looked pretty he’d probably tip the ladder over on you but it was true.

“Since you’re doing all this work for the party, you think it’s possible you’ll come by? See it all set up at the end?” You asked.

“That yer attempt at inviting me to something else?”

“Maybe.” You’d invited him to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and your birthday, all of which he declined. “You could see me in my dress, I look really nice in it.”

“I’m sure ya do.”

“Are you being sarcastic?” You asked. 

Daryl glanced down at you again, that flicker of something extra in his eyes as he answered, “ain’t being sarcastic.” 

“Well,” you replied, trying to keep your cool under his gaze, “you should think about stopping by. You’re doing all this work, and there’ll be plenty of food.”

“We’ll see.” He finally conceded, “help me with these lights, we’ll go get dinner, alright?”

-

Most of the guestlist for the graduation party was reserved for family, yours and Maggie’s though niether of your parents seemed able to “get off work” to be there. Your mom had told you already, before you had left the house that morning, that she wasn’t going and that no one would be there for you anyhow.

“You’re trying to steal Maggie’s spotlight by doing this joint party. No one is gonna show up for you. They all have jobs and lives that don’t revolve around you.” 

For the most part you had ignored her though, as you ran around under the oak with Beth it felt a lot like she was right. A lot of people seemed to have come to the party for Maggie and very few had made the effort to show up for you. It wasn’t so much of a bother though; you didn’t have to worry about people expecting you to talk about college or the future or if you were seeing someone. 

It was only Patricia, halfway through the evening as the sun was starting to go down and all the fairylights that had been strung up came on, that pulled you aside. She and Otis had never had children and so she felt obligated to tell you how much you felt like a daughter to her. 

“You’ve been like a second mother to me all my life Patty.” You insisted. She and Otis had babysat you when you were little, she’d given you a job at the diner, helped keep you in line for the most part, and she didn’t say too much about the company you’d been keeping. In all honesty, you wanted to tell her that you wished she really was your mother. She certainly would’ve made a better one.

“I’m just so proud of you.” She wrapped her arms around you, hugging you to her. It was that hug, looking over her shoulder, that you noticed someone down the path, were the lights around the fence ended and the lanterns on the path started. Standing all alone by the barn, you hadn’t seen his truck pull in. 

“I’ll be right back,” you promised when you broke away from the hug. 

She watched you, looking over her shoulder to see what had so interested you and shaking her head at the sight, “you keep your wits about you, ya hear?”

“I always do.” You lied. 

Unsurprising, when you got down to the barn Daryl was smoking a cigarette, looking so nonchalant about being there. You saw his truck finally, parked on the other side and you realized he had driven up the work path to the Greene’s farm, avoiding the fanfare of the party. You wondered how long he’d been standing there and, if you hadn’t of noticed him, would he have just left.

“I thought you weren’t the party type?” You asked, coming up on him. Close enough that the fairylights and the lanterns cast a glow on the two of you but nothing else. 

“Hershel asked me to stop by,” he lied. He stubbed out his cigarette prematurely and tucked the rest of it behind his ear. “Besides,” he shrugged, “wanted ta see ya in this dress ya were going on about.”

You smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, “well, it’s getting dark but what’d ya think?”

He looked ready to say something, thinking better of it and simply nodding his head. You knew that things between you had been tense since you told him that you liked him, even if he was being friendly with you again there was that feeling of something, settling in just under the surface every time you were together. That catch in your throat when he looked at you a certain way or how his face got red when you stared too long. And maybe it felt more private in the post-sunset of the Saturday night, strings of light on the fence enough to illuminate only that patch of ground the two of you were standing on. Other partygoers were further away and it made you think about the first time you met him, under the dim light of the porch and that feeling in your gut, that knowing. 

The possibility was just too great to be ignored any longer. 

You would like to think you took him by surprise but he always seemed a half-step ahead of you and maybe he had helped close that gap between you as equally as you had. Either way, you were just standing there in the dark and then, like some subconscious reflex, you were grabbing the sides of his jacket, pulling yourself closer, and kissing him. 

A fraction of a second was all it took for him to realize what was happening and react, though not how you thought he would. As you began to pull away, he pulled you back in, continuing the kiss. He held your face in his hands, rough calluses from years of work on the softest skin he’d ever felt. It wasn’t at all the awkward first kiss you’d had in sophomore year. This meant something. Maybe even more than the two of you realized in that moment. You tried to pull him closer, pressing yourself against him, not even bothering to break apart when you felt a splinter break off the barn and jam itself into your hand where it was trapped between his body and the wall. 

When he did finally pull away, only to catch his breath, he didn’t let go. He leaned his forehead against yours, his hair brushing your nose and making you scrunch your face at the sensation. 

“Fuck.” He finally said, voice a hoarse whisper.

You nudged him with your forehead enough to kiss him again and he smiled against your mouth, a quick kiss and he was pulling away, watching the way you followed, leaning into him and trying to keep him close.

“Someone’ll see us.”

“I don’t care.” You replied.

“Ya will when they see us.” He took your hands in his, guiding you away from him, frowning when you flinched. His thumb had brushed the splinter and he pulled your hand up to inspect it. “Yer something else.”

“I can hardly feel it.” You insisted though now that he wasn’t distracting you the splinter was definitely on your mind. 

He pulled you over to the truck, opening the passenger door and standing there in the light of the cab, grabbing a pair of tweezers from the dash. “Hold still, I’ll get it.”

You bit down on your lip as Daryl managed to manipulate the splinter out of your hand. It was less painful than you imagined it would be though still not ideal. When he turned to toss the tweezers back in the truck you couldn’t help the laugh that escaped, “you got glitter on your bottom lip.” You said, reaching out and resting your hand on his cheek, rubbing your thumb over his lip to brush the glitter away. 

“Ya oughta get back up to the party.” He insisted, though he turned his head just enough to kiss your palm before you pulled your hand away.

You pouted, a little sour at the thought that he was gonna try to send you back up to the party after you’d just kissed. “What no making out in the back of your truck?” You teased, thankful for the light so you could watch the way his face got red. 

“I’m going hunting next weekend,” He started to say, seemingly off topic, “ya wanna come?”

“Hunting?”

“Cabin in the woods,” he shrugged, “ain’t too many people around.”

“Yeah okay.” You agreed, stealing another kiss as you stood in the open doorway of the truck with him. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He nodded. You couldn’t leave if he didn’t let you go, his hands on your hips, but he was reluctant. It was like an addiction; he’d been trying to keep himself satisfied with all the small doses but he’d had more and he just didn’t want it to stop. It was like all he could think about was kissing you again. When you mentioned the back of the truck, he was half tempted to take you up on the offer. 

“Okay,” you finally said, between kisses, “I’m going.”

Before you could make good on your promise you heard someone calling your name, heavy footsteps down the path as they approached. Daryl dropped his hold on you only to grab your arm and pull you a little closer as you turned to the source of the voice, spotting Shane walking up to you. “Hey,” he frowned as he realized who you were down here with, “Annette sent me to get you, they’re doing cake.”

“I’ll be right there.” You promised. When he didn’t move you repeated yourself, “you can tell her, I’ll be right there.”

“I think it’s best if I walk you up.”

“Why’s that?” Daryl asked. The mood shift was palpable, if he was happy a moment ago he was far from it now, staring down Shane as he moved to block you from your ex.


	17. Chapter 17

The first time you told him that you liked Daryl’s response had been instantaneous. He knew how he felt about you but he also knew that getting into a relationship with you wouldn’t be good, for you at least. He didn’t want you to deal with the way that people would talk about you, the way he already knew they were when you were just hanging around him. 

Going to your graduation party wasn’t his best idea, he knew that too. But he thought about that invite all night, the way you’d smiled at him when you got out of the truck after he drove you home, asking again if he would come to the party. He’d avoided any other invitation you had offered and yet, for some reason, he couldn’t avoid this one. 

And when you kissed him, he didn’t stop you. 

It was the only time in his life that Daryl could remember doing something simply because he wanted to. He liked you and when you kissed him, he let himself like you without thinking about everyone else. Which was for the worst obviously, because the second he let himself focus on only the two of you, everything went to hell. 

He couldn’t stand Shane; the guy was a loser and always had been. The fact that you had wasted your time on him was unbelievable sometimes. 

“Shane, just go back up…I’ll be there in a minute.” You tried once more to get Shane to leave, to halt the growing tension in its path. 

“So, you are seeing Dixon now?” Shane asked, looking passed Daryl to you. 

“Not really any of your business.” You snapped. 

“I already told you, whatever’s going on with you, I still care. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of you.” He replied and you almost laughed. 

“Rich coming from you,” you muttered. “Just go back up to the house Shane.” 

“You know what,” Shane said, obviously ready to get one more thing off his chest before he left, “my family’s lived across from the Dixons for a while now. I know all about ‘em.” He said it as if it was a threat, looking over at Daryl as if it could uncover some great secret that you didn’t know about. 

“Good to know.” You pulled on the sleeve of Daryl’s jacket, getting him to look at you instead of Shane, “can you just take me home, I don’t care about the stupid cake.” 

“That’s fine,” Daryl nodded, “go ‘head and get in.” 

Before he could move out of the way and let you get in the cab, Shane grabbed your arm, trying to pull you toward him, “hey! I’m not done talking to you!” 

Just as he yanked your arm Daryl shoved him back, the motion making you lose your footing and fall on the grass, landing on your hip. You pushed yourself up in time to catch Daryl tackling Shane to the ground, knocking him into one of the lanterns. 

He punched him, fist slamming into his nose and Shane practically screaming at the feeling of his nose likely breaking. He tried to push Daryl off him but it was no use, Daryl continuing to punch him as they wrestled in the dirt. 

Annette had the sense to mention sending Shane down to get you and Rick, who had stopped by with Michonne to congratulate you and hopefully get a slice of cake, asked exactly where you were, knowing things weren’t good between you two. He and Michonne were heading down the path just as Daryl tackled Shane. They picked up speed, practically running as Shane got the upper hand, locking his arm around Daryl’s neck in a chokehold. You had managed to get up off the ground, kicking Shane’s back and throwing him off enough that he let go of Daryl, who rolled away from him and stood up. 

Rick grabbed Shane, pushing him away from Daryl. 

“Walk it off Shane!” Rick snapped. You imagined that was his stern Officer Grimes voice. 

“We were just talking.” 

“Like hell,” Daryl said, “touch her again, I’ll fucking kill you.” 

“Hey,” you grabbed his arm again, pulling away from Shane. “It’s fine, I’m fine,” you promised, trying to put your hands on his face and turn his head to look at you. Your eyes met in the dark, “It’s okay.” 

“Daryl,” Michonne started to say and he nodded his head, already knowing where she was going. 

“I’m leaving.” He said, pulling away from you. “I’ll see ya.” He promised. 

You watched him swing the passenger door shut as he walked around the other side of the truck, climbing in and backing out the driveway. Michonne was standing with you, Rick walking Shane back up to the house and away from you, dissipating the tension of the moment and leaving you in the aftermath of it. 

“Looks like you keep finding me after fights huh?” You said, looking over at Michonne, trying to make light of the situation. 

“You sure know how to pick ‘em.” Michonne replied. 

“To be fair, Daryl’s the only one I’m ‘picking’. Shane’s a douche, he just can’t take a hint.” You said. 

“So you and Daryl are dating then?” She asked, putting her arm around you to help you walk up the path now that Rick and Shane were far enough away. “God, I can’t remember a time he’s ever dated anyone.” 

“I don’t know if we’re…dating but-” you groaned, pain shooting up your leg as you miss stepped. 

Michonne gripped your arm, helping you get your balance. “Are you okay?” She asked, trying to look you over. The light on the path was limited to the lanterns, not enough that Michonne could clearly see though, “let’s get you up to the house.” 

You walked carefully the rest of the way up to the house, ignoring some partygoers as Michonne brought you into the house, pulling a chair into the kitchen and instructing you to sit down so that she could get ice. The screen door banged open, Maggie and Beth coming inside, “I saw Michonne bring you in here, what happened?” 

“I’m fine,” you lied, shifting away from both of them so that they couldn’t see the dirt on the side of your dress or the hint of a bruise forming that was visible under the hem. You knew you should’ve been focused on the throbbing pain that was running through your hip but all you were really focused on was Daryl and if Shane freaking out on the two of you would change anything that had happened moments before. If he had the chance to overthink the kiss would he regret it and go back to trying to avoid you? 

“We’ll be right out,” Michonne promised, managing to kick the Greene girls out of their own kitchen, closing the screen door behind them. She was no stranger to news in King County and how fast it traveled, the last thing you or Daryl needed was anyone hearing about the fight he and Shane had gotten in. “Here’s some ice,” she offered you a bag of ice cubes wrapped in a dish cloth, pressing it against your hip as you took hold of it, “should help with the bruising. Can you tell me what happened?” 

“This like an interrogation or something?” You asked, crossing your legs to relieve the pain in your hip, taking weight off it as you shifted in the chair. 

“I just wanna understand what happened,” she explained, grabbing another chair and sitting down across from you. 

“I was down at the barn with Daryl when Shane came down, said Annette sent him to get me for cake. I told him I’d be right up and he started saying shit to me and Daryl…he gave us trouble a little while ago,” you said. 

“What happened then?” 

“Nothing, I was at the gas station. We got in the truck and left.” You replied. 

“You were with Daryl again?” 

“Shane doesn’t like that I’m not still head over heels in love with him.” You said, “he’s got something against Daryl too, doesn’t think I should be hanging around him.” 

“I’m sure a lot of people are thinking that.” Michonne admitted, knowing what people said about her friend. 

“That’s cause they don’t know anything about Daryl, they just like not liking him.” You snapped, looking away. 

“I’m not arguing with you.” She replied. “I been friends with Daryl for a little while now, he’s one of the best ones. Look, let me drive you home?” She offered. 

“I’m staying with Tara this weekend,” you mentioned, “we drove here in my jeep, she’s got the keys.” 

“Okay, wait here, I’ll go find her.” 

Before Michonne could get all the way out the kitchen door you called her, catching her attention. You turned in the chair, twisting to look at her, “do you think Daryl will still talk to me? I mean, he’s been saying we shouldn’t be together and now we kinda…finally got together…and Shane fucked it up.” 

“I don’t think Daryl’s going anywhere.” Michonne replied. “I’ll be right back, you ice that hip.” 

-

Despite you most likely driving Tara crazy all Saturday night into Sunday morning, she didn’t say anything negative about you and Daryl. She suggested that you talk to him, look for him at the autoshop or his house and, technically, you knew that was the best solution but you were nervous. Worried that Shane losing it on the two of you would push Daryl away from you and now that you had him, now that he wasn’t fighting it, you didn’t want your relationship with him to be over before it started. 

You drug your feet over it until Sunday night when you finally drove to his house, parking on the street and walking down the short driveway to the carport. “Did I know you had a bike?” You asked, catching sight of Daryl crouched down in front of a motorcycle, or something resembling one, that was up on supports. 

He turned to look at you, standing up and wiping his hands on the rag in the back pocket of his pants. “Been working on it for a couple months, had ta finish yer jeep first,” he replied, glancing passed your shoulder to the jeep sitting on the curb.

“Are you building it?” You asked, noticing the absence of tires on it. 

“Yeah, trying ta get it up an’ running.” He watched you walk closer, stepping up beside him to look at the bike closer. Daryl didn’t give much thought to what he did next, he put his hand on your arm, just above your elbow, drawing your attention to him. When you turned your head he leaned in, kissing you. “Sorry,” he apologized when he pulled away, “just wanted ta do that again.”

“That’s fine with me.” You smiled, kissing him one more time. “I was worried you’d throw in the towel on me after that whole mess with Shane.” You admitted. 

Daryl shrugged, walking over to the mini fridge and grabbing himself a beer, “he’s a prick, always has been. Don’t bother me. Ya alright though? Michonne said ya got hurt?”

“I bruised my hip,” you replied, crossing your arms over your chest. “Think it was when I fell.”

“Ya alright?” He asked again, “ya want me ta look at it?” 

“You want me to take my pants off…”

“Ain’t what I was saying.” Daryl was quick to explain, the red tinting his cheeks.

“I know, I just like bothering you.” You replied. 

“Ya are a bother,” he said, taking a sip of his beer, “I’ll give ya that.” When he walked back over to the bike, laying his bottle on the ground near it, you dragged the chair over closer to him so you could watch, beginning to tell him about the cake that Annette had sent you home with, offering him the piece you brought with you.


	18. Chapter 18

Beth pushed the door to the diner open, three steps ahead of Hershel, eager to grab her favorite corner booth for her weekly ‘daddy/daughter’ date. He kept a day set aside for each of his children to spend time with him alone and Wednesdays were Beth’s. She waved to Patricia as she headed to her booth, stopping short when she recognized the young man sitting in the booth just before theirs, having dinner. 

“Hi!” She slid in across from him, wide smile on display. 

Daryl looked up from his food, eyes narrowing suspiciously at the sight of the kid at his table. “Can I help you?”

“You were at the graduation party.” She said, explaining that she had seen him kissing you down by the barn when she was playing by the oak tree. “Are you dating now?”

“Beth,” Hershel tore his youngest daughter’s attention away from Daryl, “why don’t we eat, leave Mr. Dixon to his dinner.”

“Evening Reverend,” he said, nodding to him.

Beth slid back out of the booth, waving at Daryl as she walked over the coveted corner booth. Hershel lingered for a moment, “heard ya got into a bit of a scuffle with Shane Walsh at my daughter’s graduation party?”

“He minded his own business, wouldn’t a been a scuffle at all.” He said, jaw tense. He’d let a lot of people get away with giving him a lot of shit over the years but he was about to let anyone suggest that what happened was his fault. Especially not when you had gotten hurt. 

“Listen,” Hershel said, still lingering at the booth, “I know you been spending time with my daughter’s friend. I just wanna be sure you got her best interest in mind.” 

“I ain’t doing anything ‘sides eating my dinner.” 

“Evening Reverend Greene,” you said, coming up beside him at Daryl’s booth. Hershel looked over at you as if you had interrupted his train of thought, quickly recovering with a smile. 

“How’re you doing?” He asked, accepting the hug you offered, rubbing your back before stepping closer to his own booth, catching Beth’s attention.

“Real good,” you replied, shooting Daryl a smile as you said it, “you two want some drinks before menus?” 

“I want a milkshake!” Beth piped up, getting out of the booth to give you a hug. You wrapped your arm around her, pulling her against your side. 

“What kind of milkshake do you want?” You asked. 

She scrunched up her nose, frowning as she considered the few flavors that Patricia offered in the way of milkshakes. Finally her eyes settled on Daryl again, who’d gone back to eating his dinner. “What flavor do you think I should get?” She asked, lifting her foot to prod the vinyl of the booth. 

Daryl looked over at her, “ya gotta go with chocolate,” he replied, glancing up at you for a moment before talking to Beth again, “just don’t let this one get ‘er hands on it, she’ll drink the whole thing.” 

“I will not!” You pouted, giving him your best attempt at a glare. 

Beth giggled, smiling at Daryl as she nodded her head, “okay, chocolate it is.”

You pushed her shoulders, guiding her back over to her booth, “lets go, dinner time.” 

She waved at Daryl as she walked away, smiling even wider when he waved back. You promised to be back with menus before leaving to get their drinks. The diner wasn’t very full, the Wednesday dinner hour really only attracting older couples and a few single people grabbing meals at the end of the day but it was slow, just you and Amy on tonight since Lori wasn’t feeling well. 

You circled back with menus and drinks for Hershel and then pit stopped at Daryl’s table, stealing a fry off his plate as you sat down across from him. “Rick tell you Lori’s baby shower is coming up?” You asked, nabbing another fry. 

Daryl poked your hand with his fork this time, “nah, doesn’t say much about it other than being excited.” He replied, “why?”

“Just wondered…Lori invited me but I’m not sure what to get her.” You didn’t think that Lori would invite Daryl, or even that she would let Rick have Daryl around at all but there was a small part of you that kind of thought it’d be nice to go together. Maybe a little wishful, but nice. 

“I ain’t shopping for baby stuff with ya.”

“You afraid people will talk?” You teased, leaning against the table. 

His cheeks turned red, the color staining all the way up to his ears and down his neck, “Don’t ya got work?”

Otis seemed to be on Daryl’s side, calling an order up for your side of the diner and forcing you back to work. You stole one more fry, turning to stick your tongue out at Daryl as you headed around the counter to get the meal. It wasn’t unusual for Daryl to drive you home from work but he never came inside and definitely never came early. You’d been surprised when he showed up at the diner, walking in and sitting down in your area without saying anything. The surprise hadn’t lasted long, Otis mentioning to you that he’d suggested to Daryl that stopping by might be a good idea.

“Saw Shane in here yesterday looking for you so when I stopped by Dale’s earlier to get an oil change, I told Daryl about it, Patty said you two are sweet on each other and I’ve never known him to cause any trouble, not like his brother. Made me feel better thinking he’d be here in case that Walsh boy tried stopping in.” Otis had told you when you put Daryl’s order in. “Tell your boy to bring us some venison too, heard he was going hunting.” 

“I’m taking the weekend off to go with him.” You had mentioned when Otis put in the request.

“Tell him to watch his back.” Otis teased, leaning out the window separating the kitchen and the diner, “ya hear that Dixon, you watch your back with this one hunting.” He called.

“Will do,” he replied, nodding his head to Otis in agreement. 

Patricia was less enthusiastic about you going hunting with Daryl, a weekend alone together, but she said nothing about it to you. And if she said anything to her husband, he said nothing to you. 

Daryl finished dinner before you finished your shift, taking the book you offered him from your backpack and sitting there reading quietly as if he was unbothered having to wait around another hour for you. Beth kept peeking at him throughout dinner, and twice waved when he looked up at her. You passed a few times, always stopping if you had a minute to spare and bringing him coffee once on your way around the diner. 

When Beth and Hershel left you were clocking out in the back but Beth stopped to say bye to Daryl while Hershel paid, telling him she would see him around as if they were friends. 

“I’ll see ya ‘round kiddo.” Daryl promised. 

“Alright,” you sighed, coming over and sitting next to him as Beth and Hershel left the diner, “I’m clocked out and all yours.” You leaned over and kissed his cheek, watching him flush. 

“Lucky me,” he replied, doing his best to sound sarcastic though the slight uptick of a smile wasn’t missed by you. “You gotta be home?” He asked as the two of you stood, heading for the door.

“No, my mom thinks I’m staying at Tara’s since we got half-days…told me I better be looking for a place after graduation anyway.” You replied, “guess my time is up at home.”

“Where ya supposed ta stay?”

“I don’t know, Tara’s dad said he doesn’t mind me staying there but not sure I wanna be living there all the time…I’m gonna look for something.” You shrugged, climbing in the passenger seat of his truck and letting him shut the door after you.

He got in the driver’s side, starting the engine, “yer welcome to stay at mine, ain’t anything special though.”

“I don’t know…you’re there.” You replied, smiling when he scoffed.

-

The cabin in the woods was exactly that. And old cabin that Daryl’s great grandfather had built back in the early 1900s for his family to go hunting. It was proper hunting log cabin. Nestled back in the woods off a dirt path that made it almost invisible unless you were right on top of it. Daryl pulled the truck around back, cutting the headlights and engulfing everything in the pitch black of night. You knew you shouldn’t have insisted on stopping for dinner, especially after the late start, but you were starving. 

“This is usually like, the part of the movie when people realize they’re gonna get killed.” You mentioned, getting out of the truck and looking around at the woods as if you could actually see them. 

Daryl didn’t seem bothered by the dark as he got out, grabbing the bags and his crossbow before walking you to the door, “I ain’t gonna kill ya.”

“What if there’s a serial killer in the woods?” You asked, following Daryl into the house. 

He dropped the bags by the door and lit the lantern hanging at the wall. “I been coming here since I was a kid, ain’t ever seen a serial killer. Be dead if I had.”

“You’d be dead or he’d be dead?”

“He’d be dead.” Daryl replied, “I’m a good aim.” 

“I believe it.” 

The inside of the cabin wasn’t anything special. Old furniture, limited electricity, two small bedrooms off the living room, and, “tell me I’m missing the bathroom.”

“It’s outside.” Daryl replied, seemingly unbothered by saying so as he started putting food in the small refrigerator. 

“Outside as in…” you trailed off, standing in the doorway of one of the rooms, waiting for him to offer a further explanation, one that would bring this cabin further into the 21st century. 

“There’s an outhouse in the back.”

“Daryl Dixon, you did not bring me to a cabin in the literal woods with a toilet outside.” You replied, crossing your arms over your chest. 

“Ain’t that big a deal, I come out here all the time.” 

“Well I’m not going out there alone, just FYI…” you muttered, heading back into the room you’d claimed for yourself. 

The night in the cabin was a lot colder than you expected it to be in May. You had assumed the weather would be warming up but it seemed like a chill had set in around the cabin and you woke up in the middle of the night, room pitch black, freezing under the blankets that Daryl had given you. 

You sat up for a moment, waiting for your eyes to adjust to the darkness, carefully stepping out of bed. The wooden floor creaked beneath your feet, as cold as the rest of the room, and you walked out of the bedroom, going to the door next to yours, knocking. 

“Daryl?” You whispered, knocking on the door. “Daryl?”

Footsteps and then the door opened, Daryl standing there in pajama pants, rubbing his eyes. “What’re ya doing up?” 

“I’m freezing.”

“The walls ain’t insulated, ya need another blanket?” He asked.

Another blanket was not what you had in mind when you woke up and forced yourself out of bed in the middle of the night. “I was thinking I could come in?” You suggested. 

“Come in?” He repeated.

“Yeah,” you nodded, “no heat’s better than body heat…right?” 

Daryl narrowed his eyes at you though it was too dark for you to really tell at all. “I didn’t invite ya up fer that.” He clarified, as if maybe you had misinterpreted him wanting to spend time with you as something else. 

You shrugged, you were no blushing virgin and you doubted he was either but that wasn’t why you’d knocked on the door. If he had wanted to, you’d have few objections considering how it’d been that you’d been pining over him, since before Halloween and it was nearly the end of the school year. But really, you were just cold, and your first thought was getting warm. Particularly, getting warm by being close to him. 

“I just wanna lay with you.” You replied, watching as he pushed the door open further as if those had been the magic words. You stepped inside past him, beginning to walk around the left side of the bed when he grabbed your hand.

“That’s my side.”

“Fine.” You huffed, changing your route to the other side. 

The bed was old, just as uncomfortable as yours, but there was still that distinct feeling of warmth beneath the covers as you got in, burrowing down under them and getting as close to Daryl as he’d let you. If there was anywhere you were opposites it was in the amount of physical affection you had to give versus him. He tensed when you rested your head on his chest and wound and arm around his waist. You tried to shift further onto your side and felt his hand on your hip, maneuvering your leg over his to make both of you more comfortable. 

“Ya ain’t got pants on?” He whispered, realizing he was touching your bare skin.

“No, I’m just wearing a shirt. I always do.” You insisted.

“Now wonder yer cold, ain’t even trying ta stay warm.” He grumbled as if the chill was entirely your fault. 

“I am trying to stay warm! What do you think I’m doing in here?” You pinched his side and he let go of your hip to smack your hand. “Hey!” You huffed, changing the subject, “you remember when I fell asleep at your house at Thanksgiving?” 

“Course. Still haven’t given me those clothes back.”

You rested your chin on his shoulder, trying to see him in the dark as he turned his head to look at you, “Is that all you remember?”

“Nah, just figured I was due to hassle ya, considering yer always giving me a hard time.” He replied.

“I knew it then you know? That I wanted to be with you.” You admitted, not so shy about it or worried that he would kick you out of bed for saying so. You pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “I mean, I knew it at the party, when I bummed a cigarette off you and you let me sit outside with you.”

“I didn’t let ya do nothing, ya invited yerself.” He replied. 

“Yeah, cause I was trying to flirt with you!” 

“I knew what ya were doing.” Daryl said, “get some sleep, hunting starts early, deer ain’t gonna wait for chitchat.”

“Fine.” You kissed his shoulder one more time and laid your head down, closing your eyes. “When did you know?”

A heavy groan sounded, “When did I know what?”

“That you liked me?”

“Why’s it matter?” He asked. 

“Cause I wanna know. When were you like ‘heart eyes everytime you looked at me’.”

“Still waiting on it.”

“Daryl!” You pinched his side again and he smacked your hand. 

“Quite doing that, yer more annoying than my brother.” He replied. It was quiet for a moment, complete silence in the room and you were sure Daryl was focusing on going back to sleep when he finally spoke up again. “When I saw ya at the gas station with that kid Glenn.” He admitted, “now go to sleep.”


End file.
